Restaurant Makes Amends After PTSD Veteran Turned Away

Restaurant manager fired after veteran, dog turned away
WGNO News
BY ANTHONY PERRUCCI
MAY 26, 2015

Hershey the Labradoodle was turned away from a restaurant in Illinois. (WGN)

ALGONQUIN, Ill. (WGN)— An Illinois veteran’s trip to a restaurant over the weekend caused an uproar and cost a restaurant manager her job.

Garrett Loughran of Huntley has served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. And like a lot of veterans, Garrett uses a service dog to help with his PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Hershey, a 5-year-old Labradoodle, helps keep him calm in crowds and adjust to civilian life. He’s no ordinary canine. In fact, he’s specially trained for this. By law, he’s allowed to go where Garrett does.

But Garrett’s mom wanted to take him to a pre-Memorial Day lunch at the Houlihan’s in nearby Algonquin. And that’s when things got a little touchy. The veteran, his mom and his dog were turned away.

Houlihan’s says the manager involved in turning Laura, Garrett and Hershey away has been fired and it’s donating $2,000 dollars to the organization Pets for Vets.
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