Disabled Man's Dog Not Allowed In Local Wawa - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

Disabled Man's Dog Not Allowed In Local Wawa

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MILLVILLE, N.J. -

A disabled man from Cumberland County is kicked out of a popular convenience store, and you'll never believe why.

Workers at a Wawa up the street got Millville police involved because of a confrontation. Employees accuse the man of disorderly conduct. But he says it's discrimination.

Imagine suffering from a debilitating, even dangerous condition and relying on a service dog to warn you when an attack is coming on.

That's 33-year old Patrick Stark's life because he suffers from seizures.

So, imagine the panic that set in when Stark says one night employees at a Wawa on West Main Street in Millville told him his dog, Copenhagen, wasn't allowed inside.

Stark says he was embarrassed. But he showed the shift manager a service dog identification tag that Copenhagen always wears and even papers regarding his seizures.

Wawa released a statement apologizing to Stark. It reads in part: "We are taking this issue very seriously, and we remain committed to complying with the ADA and to continue to provide training to our associates with respect to service animals."

Still stark says he's emotionally scarred by the incident.

Wawa says Stark and his dog are welcome there. A rep says when service dogs aren't wearing vests it can be a challenge for employees to determine which they are.

Stark claims this is the fourth time this has happened to him at that store.

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