Veteran Daniel Wright travels everywhere with his service dog, Tank, without a problem. However, when he attempted to get on a New Jersey Transit bus this week, the driver told him dogs weren't permitted.
Service animals, however, are allowed by law to go wherever their owner goes, even when using public transportation.
Yet, this isn’t the first time a veteran faced this type of treatment: Garrett Loughran, who served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was told he couldn’t enter an Illinois restaurant with his service dog in May.
"I just need awareness brought that there's a lot of veterans out here with service animals," Wright told ABC. "They don't have to be blind or deaf to have a service animal."
Wright, who served 11 years in the U.S. Marines and Army, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, which is fairly common among veterans. His pit bull, who wears a special vest and has a tag to prove he's a registered service dog, helps him go about his day.
"There were times I couldn't even sleep with my wife because I was acting out in my sleep," the Purple Heart recipient said. "That's actually why I have Tank. He wakes me up during night terrors, finding my medicine, he can go get my medicine."
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