Should pets stay out of stores?

[Android Kaeli]

A small note: Before I begin I just want to say that I don't mean service animals. They have vaild reasons to be at their handler's side, period, and this isn't a discussion about them. At all.

I was thinking about this the other day when a couple brought in their dog to my place of employment. This wasn't a small dog by any means, it was walking around on a leash and was a medium-sized dog. We couldn't tell the couple politely to take the dog outside even though the company has a "service animals only" policy and management doesn't want to offend the customers by saying so.

I understand that sometimes we get tourists who bring in their pets and keep them in the carts, most pets are small enough to fit into the child seat or in a small cage. No pet has done any harm to other customers when they've pet them.

What is everyone's take on this? Should retail stores have a lax "no pets" policy or enforce it totally? If it's a lax policy, should the store in question be liable if a pet were to have an accident and someone were to slip in it or even bite someone?

[Fashion Lad!]

Yes, pets should stay out of stores. The only exceptions would be pet stores or stores that also cater towards animals. Some restaurants will serve dogs.

My reason for this, while I love my animals to death, other people don't. I'm terrified of dalmatians, and I wouldn't be too impressed if I saw one walk into Best Buy if I were in there shopping for something. In fact, my reaction to it would probably be pretty impressive when I start throwing people in front of me to save me.

[MaggieTheCat]

I don't think pets should be allowed in most stores. Places like pet stores or restaurants that cater to pets, fine. But grocery stores, department stores, electronic stores, etc...no way. Several reasons. People are allergic to animals. My husband has a co-worker who is violently allergic to dogs. She can't even be near dogs without breaking out in hives and sneezing non-stop. As Fashion Lad said, some people don't like animals. And sometimes they have a good reason for it; my grandmother was badly bitten by a large dog as a child, and she has had a fear of dogs ever since. And speaking of which, as our vet says, "pets behave unpredictably." Even if you've trained a pet and it is normally well-behaved, something could spook a dog and cause it to get defensive or aggressive, or want to run off, and it could cause damage to both the store and/or other people. Not to mentioned that the animal itself could get hurt. In an enclosed space like an aisle of a store, it would not be difficult for someone to mis-step and step on a dog's foot or tail.

[Cats]

Unless the business in question caters to animals, they need to stay out of stores. If the animal is small and kept in someone's purse or bag, I've found most stores will tolerate it unless someone complains. Really, there is no reason to bring your pet shopping with you. While I prefer that to keeping them trapped in a hot or cold car, there is really no need to have them with you 24/7 (we did see them a lot in my old store, usually to buy a drink or quickie first aid supplies, but that was understandable, since the plaza was right next to the town stadium where games are held in spring/summer and people do walk their dogs there).

I don't see it much anymore, but I've seriously seen people bring their tiny little Chiuaua's inside with them to the store in the middle of winter in the middle of the night, and the poor dog is always shivering. A store is not an appropriate place to show off your pet. They have parks and pet shows that do that.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I think it depends on the store. (You don't say what kind of store you work in.) And the pet. A small dog you can easily carry? Not as big a deal. A Great Dane in a small shop? Perhaps not. Places that prepare food, no. Plus issues with people who may be scared of large dogs, etc. (had a little girl once who was terrified of the seeing eye dog in the store; a less-well-trained dog might react badly to a hysterical child). Ultimately, though, it really comes down to if the owner wants to allow it, and if there are any health codes that prohibit it.

We didn't mind dogs in the bookstore as long as they could be carried. We had a woman who came into Store2 occasionally with her Chihuahua. She was very sweet (she even let me hold her) and never made a peep. I would bring Pablo (Chihuahua) in to visit once in a while (only because my coworkers liked to see him) and I would let him down on the floor (on a leash) for a few minutes if I was standing and talking to someone, but if I was walking through the store I was carrying him. I'd see other small breeds once in a while. As long as they were being carried and didn't go into the cafe, it was fine.

The only time I've ever seen a larger breed in the store was a semi-regular who had a seeing eye dog (gorgeous black Lab) - he would lie down on the floor at her feet if she was standing still or under her chair in the cafe; and last year at Father's Day they had a Greyhound rescue group doing gft wrapping, and they brought three of their dogs with them (also very sweet and well-behaved, but then again, they were also there for a specific reason and the manager had OKed it before they were brought in).

[Lace Neil Singer]

I agree with Bookstore Escapee. Back when I had my own dog, I took her into stores at the beginning of our ownership. Why? Cuz she had been disgracefully neglected in her old home, she would howl if left alone at first. We gradually trained her out of this by leaving her alone for longer periods of time, but if I had to stop off at a shop while walking her, I'd ask if I could bring her in cuz of her abandonment issues. Due to the fact that I lived in a small village, I knew everyone and no-one ever objected to her. Eventually, she grew used to being left alone and I was able to tie her up outside of shops.

I don't agree tho that small "purse dogs" are any better behaved than larger ones. Some of these dogs are snappy and haven't been properly trained, so could bite people, especially children, who pet them. Of course, if it's a food shop or restaurant, that means no animals whatsoever apart from service animals.

[fireheart17]

This is a bit of a tough one for me. In all honesty, I think I'd say it really depends on the store in question. In a supermarket for me is a bit of a no-no. Doesn't matter how housebroken the animal is, how do people know that the person serving them doesn't have allergies? Or are scared of dogs for one reason or another.

[lordlundar]

It really is a situational question. In a store with no food items (apart from preprocessed foods like candy by the tills for example) then I have no issue so long as the pet behaves. Stores with food items though there's a sanitation issue to consider, and those say no pets. (well, they say no animals but that would be fun to enforce) Pet stores which encourage you to bring your pet in well, those are self explanatory.

As for the whole allergies argument, it's a choice between who gets to leave, so unless it's a lethal allergy, than the one that whines less can be the one to stay.

[BookstoreEscapee]

As for the whole allergies argument, it's a choice between who gets to leave, so unless it's a lethal allergy, than the one that whines less can be the one to stay.

Heh, my brother is pretty allergic to cats (he used to come home from his girlfriend's in high school sniffling and red-eyed, and if he spends too long at my parents' house - they have 2 cats - he gets the same way). He likes cats, though (so it's partly his own fault; if he'd stop playing with them he'd have less of a reaction ). I've never heard of anyone dying from a pet allergy...

I've heard people argue that pets shouldn't be barred from restaurants because what's the difference between that and having pets in your kitchen at home? I mean, how many people really keep their pets out of the kitchen at all times? On the one hand I can see their point, but there are generally health codes that prohibit it, and I think when serving food to the public it's better to err on the side of caution, anyway. (My cats actually don't get on the counters where food is prepared, and never really have, though the boy sometimes gets on the kitchen table - but not while we're eating...it's usually because there's something up there he wants to play with - and the counter behind the table and the bay window above it are favorite perching spots - especially for the girl, who likes to watch us eat and hope for bits and peices.

[draggar]

Pets should stay at home - they're pets, not family members. My wife hates going to pet supply stores with her service dog because most pet owners don't know how to control their own pets making it more dangerous for my wife and her service dog. Plus, with all the poorly behaved pets out there going into these places it's harder for my wife to actually shop with her service dog.

But - there are some flaws with some of the thoughts:

Sanitation - dogs are generally far cleaner than we are. In fact, you're usually cleaner after a dog licks you.

Dogs carry diseases - True, but don't we all. Plus there are very few diseases that can go from dogs to humans. Rabies is one and this should be taken care of though shots and another is worms but 99% of the time you'd have to at least eat the dog's feces to get the worms (hookworm is one exception - you can get that by standing in it and letting the feces stay on your bare foot for a while). Even things like parvo and canine flu which are very contagious with dogs do not affect us.

All dogs shed - not true. While some shed more than others, there are breeds that shed very little due to their coats (Dobermans, greyhounds, whippets etc..).

Dogs don't know how to behave - the only ones who don't know how to behave are the ones who are owned by people who let them get away with anything and don't train them. This also includes marking.

We've also had some legislation about banning / allowing dogs into establishments - I think if dogs are going to be allowed in someplace, it should be up to the establishment's owners and/or management.

People also tend not to think of liability and insurance. What if your dog who is "always behaved" gets spooked and runs off knocking some old woman over? Who is going to be responsible? Not the dog owner - the store will be.

[HYHYBT]

Why do people even *want* to haul their pets around with them, other than perhaps on vacation?

[Android Kaeli]

I work in a craft store, we don't carry food items except for candy at the front check-outs. There are a lot of small items on low-laying shelves ( foam, small wood pieces, and other things of that nature ), there is also a lot of foot traffic that comes from kids of various ages.

Like dragger said, it all depends on the pet. It's a situational thing, the nicest dog on the block may just become a terror when it is taken out of their comfort zone. One pet may be just fine and dandy while the next may destroy half of an aisle.

I know my cat is very sweet and loving, however when someone he doesn't know comes into the house it takes at least a half hour after the stranger ( to him anyways ) leaves for him to come out of hiding. He is scared by people he is not accustomed to, I wouldn't dream of putting him in a setting where he wouldn't be comfortable in.

One of my former co-workers was EXTREMELY afraid of dogs. It's so bad that whenever she saw a dog in a cart with their owners, she had to stop what she was doing and go to the back room until the dog left. Even if she was in the middle of helping a customer her fear of dogs so overwhelmed her that she had to hide in the back to get away from them. I don't know if this was one of the causes of her leaving to seek employment elswhere or not but because of her fear of dogs, she sometimes had trouble doing her job.

I much rather have a few ruffled feathers in saying, "No pets allowed" over taking the chance of the above happening to a fellow employee or customer and the chance someone, maybe even a child, might get bit.

[Cat]

Put the kids on leashes, let the dogs run free!! (I kid, people....that would be a terrible thing....just a joke from a friend)

Nah, pets shouldn't be in stores (unless it a pet-friendly one) I'd be more concerned for the pet's safety...he/she might chew/eat something that could make him/her sick.

Though I am a hypocrite....when Morgan was a wee kitten, I took her on a leash to the outdoor mall where I worked. She got many headpets (one from a sweet old lady who had lost her cat....sad) and I took her into the chocolate store where I was employed. She hid under a bin of truffles and greeted one customer......yeah, it was stupid, but hell, no one complained and it was a one time deal. (she's a biter now....can't bring her anywhere)

I do love just popping into PetCo or PetSmart to "meet" puppies....I can get doggie fixes w/o the clean up.

[elsporko]

I went to a tourist store once to use their bathroom. I was delighted to find a bunny hanging out on a shelf. He belonged to the owner. I tried petting him and he bit me. Then I tried petting him again and he bit me again.

My story isn't all that relevant to the topic but I was so giddy to see a cute little bunny in the store that I wanted to relate it. I suppose I could have made a fuss about getting bit, but it didn't even hurt and it was my fault for pestering him.