Dogsey

A teenager physically and emotionally hurt in the Boston Marathon bombings says she was forced to leave a New Hampshire store because she had her service dog with her.

Sydney Corcoran, who has post-traumatic stress disorder, had been shopping at a Nashua branch of TJ Maxx when staff said the dog - Koda - needed to be put in a cart or taken outside.

The service dog has been a crucial companion for 19-year-old Sydney, as she struggles to come to terms with the terror attack in which her mother, Celeste, lost both legs.

Sydney, who was hit by shrapnel during the explosions in April last year, describes the certified service dog as 'my little cheerleader'.

She told WCVB that when the pair were in the store Koda was wearing his working-dog vest to prove he wasn't just a regular pet.

The teenager claimed that the store manager approached her as she shopped and said the store's policy meant the dog would have to go in the shopping cart or leave.

TJ Maxx issued a statement saying it was taking the matter seriously and regretted how the situation was treated.

'Customers with disabilities who are accompanied by their service animals at any time,' the statement said.