Bringing (non service) animals into the store

[LadyBarbossa]

I work at a Volde-Mart supercenter. We see a lot here, sometimes things we wish we didn't see, but it always makes for good breaktime stories and gives our FB friends a laugh. A frequent topic of discussion amongst myself and coworkers is the number of pets we see on a daily basis. And again, these are not service animals, at least to the best of our knowledge, since most service animals wear a harness and a special jacket so everyone is aware of their status. Besides the purse dogs that are becoming more and more common, here is a list of things we've seen, off the top of my head:

Snakes

A pit bull on a regular leash, no harness or jacket

Skunks

Chihuahua puppy being placed on the register conveyor belt

A capuchin monkey*

A wallaby*

Now, the owners of the last two tell me that the monkey is being trained as a service animal, but she does climb all over the shopping carts and such, however they do keep her dressed in a onesie and a diaper. The people with the wallaby claim that they breed them and then socialize them with humans so they can be therapy animals at nursing homes, rehab centers, and hospices.

I actually enjoy seeing all the different animals, but I do wonder, since a few years ago, most places would be adamant about sending security or a manager to the pet owner and telling them they need to remove the animal. I love my pets, but I leave them at home when I go shopping. I'm just a little concerned about the cleanliness of the matter, with the people handling their pets and then touching things in the store. My friend in produce said he witnessed this week a lady with a very pretty, fluffy little dog in his department. She'd pet the dog, then touch the produce, pet the dog, touch the produce. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Thoughts?

[AdminAssistant]

There's also the issue of other shoppers being allergic to animals or having severe phobias. I would freak the hell out if I was out shopping and was greeted by somebody's pet tarantula. My allergies would freak the hell out if I was shopping and picked up a shirt covered by cat hair left by someone's pet.

Unless you're in a pet store that is designed to allow in assorted animals, leave your pets at home.

[Arcade Man D]

Snakes

Actually, snakes can warn of oncoming seizures. They're not that common, but they can be service animals.

[LadyBarbossa]

The owner of this particular snake said that he brought it to the store to socialize it and get it used to large crowds, because his mother owns a daycare center and he wants to take it to show the kids. He was walking about with the snake coiled around his neck and sometimes his arm. I can imagine what would happen if anyone had a snake phobia.

[blas87]

I would imagine a service snake wouldn't be brought to stores just for fun, and the owner wouldn't be playing with it or trying to show it off.

[Eisa]

The owner of this particular snake said that he brought it to the store to socialize it and get it used to large crowds, because his mother owns a daycare center and he wants to take it to show the kids. He was walking about with the snake coiled around his neck and sometimes his arm. I can imagine what would happen if anyone had a snake phobia.

Like me. :p I have a snake phobia. *shudders* I'm also allergic to cats. REALLY allergic.

[anakhouri]

Ugh, purse dogs. Dogs are meant to run around and get dirty and eat their own vomit. Stuffing one in your purse all day is cruel because you're not letting it be a dog.

I have mixed feelings on animals in stores. I love animals but I don't think they belonged in an enclosed public space that is not a pet store or other animal-friendly area. I wish more stores would enforce the no pets rule.

[guywithashovel]

I was at Wal-Mart one time and some girl had a weiner dog with her. I think she was an employee of the store, and she'd stopped in to get something. Someone had stopped her on the way in, and there was an investigation going on to see if she could bring the dog inside. She didn't act mad about it, but she kept saying that she wasn't going to leave the dog out in the car because that was illegal and the dog would get too hot. She kept insisting that she only had to get one thing and it would be really quick.


When I worked with the public, I really hated it when customers put me in situations like this. Yes, I know it's technically no big deal if you run into a store really quick with your dog in your purse and buy one or two things. However, there was a store policy against bringing animals into the store, service animals excepted. I could either enforce store policy and look like a petty asshole, or I could not enforce it and risk getting static from management. This type of scenario happened with many other situations, too.

[Lace Neil Singer]

FFS. -.- Back when I owned a mutt, and if I needed to nip into a shop while walking the dog to get something, I did something really novel. I tied the dog up, usually to a signpost or something that wouldn't move, went into the shop, did the shopping, came out and after untying the dog, went on with the walk.

Look idiots, Fido won't have a heart attack from being left outside for a few minutes. And if it's shopping that's going to take more than a few minutes, then leave Fido at home.

[BlaqueKatt]

I saw a service goat in training at the movies-had a onesie and diaper on-adorable little thing-didn't even notice it was there until the lady walked out with it.....but armpit piranhas-no....just no...

[Lachrymose]

armpit piranhas..hahaha

[tabbyblack13]

FFS. -.- Back when I owned a mutt, and if I needed to nip into a shop while walking the dog to get something, I did something really novel. I tied the dog up, usually to a signpost or something that wouldn't move, went into the shop, did the shopping, came out and after untying the dog, went on with the walk.

Look idiots, Fido won't have a heart attack from being left outside for a few minutes. And if it's shopping that's going to take more than a few minutes, then leave Fido at home.

The only problem with that is there are people who will steal dogs. Most of them will get sold to other people but there is always the chance that the animal will end up in a lab.

I would never take a dog out shopping if I had a dog. There are dog friendly stores downtown but if I'm running errands then the dog can stay home.

[Eisa]

:eek: I want a service goat now. That sounds adorable. Plus, it would be awesome to go around campus with my very own service goat. :D

[Lace Neil Singer]

The only problem with that is there are people who will steal dogs. Most of them will get sold to other people but there is always the chance that the animal will end up in a lab.

I would never take a dog out shopping if I had a dog. There are dog friendly stores downtown but if I'm running errands then the dog can stay home.

That's very unlikely; rather like the chance that someone will steal your car if you leave it outside a store, or take your baby from its pram.

Btw, here's a service animal that I saw once in town; a service minature pony! XD

http://www.guidehorse.com/

Not very common round here, but I talked to the woman who had the service pony and she was allergic to dogs, so got a pony instead after a friend of hers read about it online. XD

[AdminAssistant]

Why even bring your animal at all? A dog should stay at home unless it's going to the vet or to a dog park or something.

[LadyBarbossa]

I wouldn't leave my dog tied outside the store, out of fear that someone would call the SPCA on me, or like other people said, steal him. Call me biased, but I have a very pretty dog, and he's super friendly too. Also, it makes me sad to see an animal straining at it's leash yapping it's poor head off like they do.

One of my regular customers brings his chihuahua in with him all the time; he puts the doggy bed down in the shopping buggy and puts her in there. He says since he lost his wife his dogs have become his best friends, and then when one of his chis died, he couldn't bear to be away from the other one. I felt so bad for him :(

[Lace Neil Singer]

I never had any trouble during the eight years I had the dog as far as tying her outside the store went. As for why I went into shops, it was usually cuz my mum said as I was leaving, "Could you pick up some milk from the store?" The dog was far too well behaved to bite anyone, and if I'd seen anyone abusing her, I'd have kicked their arse nine ways til sunset.

[Bloodsoul]

I just know that one of these days a customer is going to bring in a pet only to have it get run over by a forklift at our store.

[Dreamstalker]

The only problem with that is there are people who will steal dogs.
A few of my clients have labradoodles, which are prime targets around here.

I've seen more than a few little shits who think it fun to run up to a waiting dog and whack it in the head for the hell of it.

If anything serious happened to a client's dog while in my care (either injury to the dog or injury to one of the aforementioned little shits from the dog getting annoyed) I'd be screwed...so I don't leave them outside a store unless it's with my mom.

[Boozy]

Why even bring your animal at all? A dog should stay at home unless it's going to the vet or to a dog park or something.

What's the problem with taking your dog for a walk to a store as long as you dont take him inside?

[AdminAssistant]

What's the problem with taking your dog for a walk to a store as long as you dont take him inside?

I suppose there isn't, but don't come crying to me when/if somebody decides to steal Fido. Or some kid irritates the dog and the dog bites and you get sued.

I just don't understand the mentality of "the dog must go everywhere that I go." Some of the downtown restaurants have outdoor tables where they allow people to have pets....how is that sanitary? I don't want to eat my dinner next to a strange dog.

[tropicsgoddess]

I've had some ties here and there when I go to the Publix across the street from my house where some people bring their itteh bitteh doggehs in the store with them in their purses/totebags. I guess leaving pets at home is a hard thing to grasp to some of these people as well as pets =/= service animals!

[Android Kaeli]

What's the problem with taking your dog for a walk to a store as long as you dont take him inside?


There's no problem with taking Cupcake for a walk. There is, however, a problem as soon as Cupcake goes inside a store, especally one that sells food.

I've told mangement of my store that they really need to get on the ball with the "No Pets Allowed" rule, because one day someone is going to get bitten by a non-service animal. Not only will the person who got bitten sue the owner of the pet, they'll also turn around and sue the store/company for allowing the pet to come inside the store.

Don't bring your pet to the store, the pet doesn't need to be at your side constantly. Just because Fluffy is a calm, nice dog at home doesn't mean Fluffy will be a calm, nice dog in a completely different setting.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

To me it is real simple. The owners and management of an establishment have the right to post whatever rules they want as long as they do not violate a person's civil rights or go against local, county, state or federal law.

So an establishment that sells food and has to answer to the local Health Departments that decides to put up a "No Pets unless it is a Service Animal" rule is perfectly reasonable.

If said establishment puts up that rule then that *SHOULD* be the end of the matter. If it says no pets then no pets are allowed. Period. End. Of. Discussion.

If the consumer doesn't like that rule then they are free to find another establishment that doesn't have that rule or failing that, finding some legal way to take care of the pet until the shopping is done. Be that leaving the animal at home, leaving it in a locked car (assuming the temp isn't going to be hot enough to cook the dog's brains), leaving it tied off outside the store, or left with a friend outside the store.

[Sage Blackthorn]

Where I work, the bosses are pretty animal friendly. They'll allow animals in the shop if they are 1: house broken, 2: well-behaved, and 3: clean (meaning they don't smell and they don't have fleas). Which is pretty much the same criteria we have for humans in our store now that I think about it. We use to have a sign up in the shop that said "All dogs welcome, children must be on a leash." But people liked it so much that we ended up selling it. Now we have a sign up that says "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

I enjoy it when people bring in a well-behaved and groomed pet to the store. We've had people bring in all sorts of animals from dogs (not my favorite) to cats, rats, parrots, snakes, rabbits.....the iguana on the walking harness that had latex dragon wings was cute. When the Pirate Rats come by it's always fun since they are trained. We even use to bring our own cat to work with us, and Gizmo was always a big draw for customers. People would smile when he hopped up on the countertop to demand attention.