New York

Blind Man, Service Dog Turned Away From Sandwich Shop

A blind New York musician says he was turned away from a chain sandwich restaurant because of his seeing-eye dog. 

Milton Kuna went to the Subway sandwich shop on North Street in New City Monday night with his service dog, Nash, only to be told dogs of any kind weren't allowed

"As soon as I opened the door, one guy said 'no dogs in here,'" said Kuna. 

Banning a service animal like Nash goes against the Americans With Disabilities Act. 

"It's very important our business owners know what the law is, and that they follow the law," said Town of Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehman. 

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said a formal complaint has been filed and that police would investigate. 

"There's a guy. He's blind. He has a service dog to guide him," said Day. "Common sense should tell you that you don't throw the people out." 

For their part, the workers on shift a day later were very apologetic when Kuna returned to the store. The owner, Saeed Akhtar, also said in a statement, "Service animals are always welcome in my shops. This was a mistake by a new employee who was not aware of the law. I would also like to invite the customer to come to my restaurant for lunch so I can apologize." 

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