Bringing (non service) animals into the store

[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.