(WSVN) - A woman in a Delaware restaurant was caught on camera yelling at a military veteran because of his service dog.
Fox News reports that Ciara Miller was filmed berating a group of people in the middle of Kathy’s Crab House and Family Restaurant in Delaware City, arguing that having a dog in the dining room was “nasty.”
“The dog’s body was about the same height as the table. Basically, the butt was sitting in front of me at the table,” Miller told Fox 29.
The Great Dane, named JP, belongs to Army National Guard veteran Bill Austin, who says the dog has been specifically trained to help him remember to take his medicine.
As patrons and employees tried to diffuse the situation, Miller could be seen getting more agitated. Restaurant owner R.J. Wisowaty recorded the incident on his cell phone.
“I’m leaving because the food is nasty and there’s a dog,” Miller can be heard yelling at restaurant employees in front of Austin.
“I’m not going to keep my voice to myself,” she continued. “I’m gonna voice it just like I did, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
When someone off-camera said the veteran fought for the country, the woman claimed to be the widow of a service member, but said that didn’t make a difference about her feelings toward the veteran’s dog.
“So what?” she can be seen screaming to an employee just off-screen. “It’s still nasty to me!”
The video then shows Miller cursing and insulting those who disagreed with her, even after someone warns her that she was being recorded.
“I don’t care! Record me! Like I said, it’s disgusting to have an animal in a public restaurant,” she says directly into the camera.
After the video rapidly spread online, Miller told Fox 29 that she wanted to tell her side of the story, claiming a staff member and other patrons made the situation about her race.
“6 or 7 people yelling out, (expletive) you, get that (expletive) out of here, making derogatory racial statements,” Miller claimed.
The Americans With Disabilities Act requires restaurants to allow service animals, which are trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The restaurant’s owners pointed out the law in a Facebook post after the incident.
“It is unfortunate that some of the public are not familiar with federal regulations regarding service animals, which, in fact, do permit service animals into establishments such as grocery stores, public buildings and restaurants, giving aid and comfort to their masters in their time of need,” they wrote in their post.
After Miller’s outburst went viral, a sign was placed outside the restaurant, saying, “Service Dogs Welcome.”
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