Business & Tech

Combat Vet With Service Dog Denied by Restaurant Gets Free Meal After Facebook Post

Buffalo Wild Wings extends complimentary 'thank you' to Marine after sushi restaurant pushes back at service dog.

After two tours of duty in the Middle East as a Marine, Corey Houghtaling now requires a service dog to help him navigate daily tasks.

Houghtaling and his girlfriend, Jenna Williams, recently went out to eat at Wok N’ Sushi on Route 23 in Franklin. What was supposed to be a nice dinner turned into an anxiety attack for the veteran and a painful experience.

Houghtaling, with service dog Atticus, says he was refused service at the restaurant because he was accompanied by the animal. In a Facebook post, Houghtaling said, “I felt like a Vietnam veteran coming back from the war because of the way I was refused. When I was refused seating in the restaurant I proceeded to call 911 to get ahold of the franklin police department. I began to have a serious anxiety attack during this time from my issues overseas which is exactly one Of the reasons why I have my service dog Atticus.”

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Hougtaling’s post went on to explain the police helped calm him down, but the restaurant tried segregating the couple and dog from the rest of the dining room in a downstairs dining area where no one else was eating.

The veteran went on to say in the post, “I just want this to be known to the public how disgusted and embarrassed I was as a disabled veteran To be treated this way in the same country that I fought to defend our freedom…”

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According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a service animal must be permitted to accompany an individual with a disability to all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. An individual with a service animal may not be segregated from other customers.

Courtney Tofanelli is a manager at Buffalo Wild Wings in Parsippany. She also peruses Facebook from time to time, and came across Houghtaling’s post. It was then and there the restaurant manager knew something had to be done.

So Tofenalli contacted Houghtaling and Williams and requested they come in – with Atticus – for a full service, complimentary meal at the Buffalo Wild Wings. The trio did just that, and enjoyed a special meal at the restaurant, just like the rest of the customers that day. 


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