Pa. court nixes food stamps for man's service dog

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania appeals court is ruling against a disabled man who’s been seeking food stamps to help feed his service dog.

Today, Commonwealth Court upheld a decision by the state Department of Public Welfare that denied the additional support to James Douris of the Philadelphia suburb of Newtown.

Douris says he feeds his dog poultry, vegetables and everything else he eats. He argues his dog should be considered a dependent member of his household as officials decide on his food stamp allotment.

The court says the law’s clear that animals don’t qualify.