A veteran from Helena reported being denied service at two businesses in White Sulphur Springs when accompanied by his service dog. Russ Christian, a Navy veteran with 15 years of service, suffers from mobility issues and PTSD after his honorable discharge. Seeking help from Veteran Affairs, he was connected with K-9 Care Montana, which informed him that he qualified for a service dog. Shortly after, he was paired with Andy, a service dog that has assisted him for nearly two years by providing mobility support and alerting him to important situations.
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The incident occurred during the Red Ants Pants Music Festival when Christian and Andy went into town to escape the heat and find food. Christian recounted that he was yelled at for having a dog, despite attempting to explain that Andy was a service animal. He first visited Bar 47 and was denied entry, despite showing Andy’s service vest. After calling the local sheriff's office to report the denial, he tried another establishment, the Lane Bar, where he faced similar treatment, with staff insisting that no dogs were allowed.
Christian noted that he had never encountered such refusal at other businesses before, expressing his disappointment at the experience. To clarify regulations regarding service animals in Montana, NonStop Local consulted David Riggs, the CEO of K-9 Care Montana, who explained the rights of service animal owners. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses must allow service animals in public areas and may only ask two questions: if the dog is a service animal due to a disability and what tasks the animal is trained to perform.
Riggs emphasized that individuals with hidden disabilities often experience the greatest barriers to access. He explained that many may not appear to have physical disabilities but rely on service dogs for various conditions, including PTSD and autism.
Christian acknowledged the challenges businesses face with those who misrepresent pets as service animals but emphasized that being turned away twice was difficult to accept. He highlighted the need for reasonable accommodations and expressed feelings of rejection.
In response, the owners of Bar 47 and the Lane Bar acknowledged mistakes in handling the situation. Cassie Grace Coburn of Bar 47 explained that their manager had not been properly trained on service animal laws and that they would take steps to rectify this. Josh Manning, owner of the Lane Bar, expressed regret over the incident and committed to ensuring staff are better informed about service animal regulations.
Christian aims to raise awareness about ADA rules regarding service animals to prevent similar situations for other disabled veterans. The article has been updated to include responses from both businesses as of October 12, 2026.