Advertisement Marathon bombing survivor says service dog got her kicked out of store TJ Maxx apologizing to survivor Share Shares Copy Link Copy

TJ Maxx is apologizing Friday night after a store manager at its Nashua, N.H., branch told a Boston Marathon bombing survivor that her service dog needed to either be placed in a carriage or leave the store.Watch the report"He's crucial to my everyday life now," Sydney Corcoran, 19, told NewsCenter 5's Liam Martin in an exclusive interview about the ordeal.Corcoran suffered shrapnel wounds in the April 15, 2013, blasts and is now battling post-traumatic stress disorder. She said Koda, her certified service dog, has been a lifeline."It's knowing that I have this little support system that's all my own. He's my little cheerleader," she said. "Honestly, I sleep better now. I used to have a really hard time trying to sleep because my mind would always just be going in overdrive."Sydney's mother, Celeste, who lost her legs in the attacks, said the difference in her daughter has been immeasurable."It's almost like a miracle, what an animal can do for you when you have that bond and that connection," she told NewsCenter 5 on Friday.So Sydney and Celeste said they were shocked by what happened Thursday at the TJ Maxx on Daniel Webster Highway."He had on his service dog vest -- bright blue, says 'service dog' all over it," Sydney said of Koda, noting that, under federal law, service dogs aren't even required to wear those vests. "The store manager came over to me and said to me, 'If you want to keep your dog in the store, you have to put him in the carriage.'"The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 states that any business must allow service animals in public areas and can only ask the patient if the dog is, indeed, a service dog, and what tasks it performs.Sydney said she informed the manager that Koda is a service dog and that he wouldn't be able to fit comfortably in the carriage. The manager, she said, told her the carriage was a new policy, and that she was required to comply.Sydney, embarrassed, left the store and called Celeste. She raced over to TJ Maxx and let the manager know she had violated her daughter's rights."She said, 'I'm sorry.' And I said, 'That's not good enough. You should have known,'" Celeste said. "You just made someone with an emotional disorder so much worse."TJ Maxx sent a statement to NewsCenter 5 Friday: "We are taking this customer matter very seriously. Customers with disabilities who are accompanied by their service animals are welcome in our stores at any time. We have looked into the particulars regarding this customer's experience and deeply regret that our procedures were not appropriately followed in this instance. We are taking actions which we believe are appropriate, including working with our stores to reinforce the acceptance of service animals."Sydney and Celeste said they're hoping their experience will help raise awareness about the proper procedures surrounding service dogs, especially for people with invisible injuries, like PTSD."There are so many people with invisible, silent injuries -- and the public needs to be aware that their service animals are sometimes their lifeline," Celeste said.