topic Re: Animals in stores? in Among Friends

Animals in stores?

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:36:37 GMT

What do you think? A friend of ours owns a convenience store and recently a customer walked in with a very large dog. The sales girls told him the dog could not come in....but did ask first if it was a service dog. According to the dog owner, he did not have to answer as it was a hippa violation.

The guy was filming every moment...the owner came out of his office and long story short, he called the police...

My friend will find out from his lawyer who is in the right according to the law.

I was just curious to what others thought.

Re: Animals in stores?

ahoymate — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:42:42 GMT

Where I live it is a dog friendly city! Everyone has one and everyone walks their dog and takes them in stores.

I love dogs and have no problem as long as they are well behaved and on a leash or in a stroller, purse. Most have small dogs. I would call someone who called the police "uptight".

Re: Animals in stores?

Alsace Gal — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:48:32 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
What do you think? A friend of ours owns a convenience store and recently a customer walked in with a very large dog. The sales girls told him the dog could not come in....but did ask first if it was a service dog. According to the dog owner, he did not have to answer as it was a hippa violation.

The guy was filming every moment...the owner came out of his office and long story short, he called the police...

My friend will find out from his lawyer who is in the right according to the law.

I was just curious to what others thought.

@Mom2Dogs

I'm not an expert, the guy thought he was smart and setting the owner up.

It wasn't a Hippa violation, owner didn't ask the guy what he needed the dog for.

Also, animals which are true, licensed service dogs will have on vests designating it as such. Emotional support animals which have also been trained will have credentials and service animals will too.

Re: Animals in stores?

Bookplate — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:11:58 GMT

Trader Joe's policy is to not allow dogs in stores other than service dogs. However, here in NYC, I constantly see dogs on leashes in the store and like heck they are all service dogs. When the store opened, a few years ago, I did hear staff ask customers to leave their dogs at home but I think they have just given up and now overlook it. I would much rather be food shopping alongside a wll-behaved dog on a leash than trying to get by a mother with a double-wide stroller or a kid on a tricycle, all of which I have experiened on multiple occasions.

The claim that the dog owner does not have to answer if a dog is a service dog is absolutely wrong. The owner of an alleged service animal is not supposed to be asked the nature of their disability, which is another matter entirely.

Re: Animals in stores?

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:19:42 GMT

@ahoymate wrote:
Where I live it is a dog friendly city! Everyone has one and everyone walks their dog and takes them in stores.

I love dogs and have no problem as long as they are well behaved and on a leash or in a stroller, purse. Most have small dogs. I would call someone who called the police "uptight".

@ahoymate @Mom2Dogs

Just yesterday I stopped into my local Kroger store to pick up a few things, and saw a rather large dog with its owner. The dog was on a leash, but that didn't stop it from doing a poop on the floor. The owner saw it and just walked away.

What is wrong with people?

IMO ... Dogs should NOT be brought into grocery stores.

Re: Animals in stores?

DrakesMomma — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:28:30 GMT

Here is what the ADA has to say - "Required to wear a vest or other ID that indicates they're a service dog. Emotional support or comfort dogs, because providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person's disability."

Re: Animals in stores?

kitcat51 — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:30:24 GMT

Dogs bite, some people are allergic, some are afraid & inside stores should be limited to service dogs...pet stores are an exception. I think that this dog owner was looking for an argument & got what he wanted...I like dogs but thoughtless entitled owners are a pain in the behind. I live in the country, a few let their dogs run free, ask them nicely to stop, they'll yell cuss that you're mean...ugh.

Re: Animals in stores?

sabatini — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 06:00:07 GMT

About 10 years ago I worked for a brief time at Sam's Club & couldn't believe the utter rudeness of some dog owners:

@Tinkrbl44, like your experience, I once saw a dog lift its leg to pee on a bread rack. The owner did nothing.

Then there was the owner who'd grabbed a thick towel from a shelf & laid it down in a cart & plopped her (filthy) pooch onto it. She left the towel behind when she exited the store.

Outrageous.

It's what made me reconsider how I'd formerly felt about dogs accompanying their owners into stores.

Other than Pet Smart, I'm now against it.

It's not the dogs, but the owners who're at fault.

*Edited for spelling!

Re: Animals in stores?

Meowingkitty — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:41:25 GMT

I would rather have someone with a dog (well trained) in a store than someone with a bratty kid who's screaming, and annoying everyone. There is a girl at my gym who brings in her huge Shepard (he's a service dog). He goes in the locker room and sits by the pool for an hour. He is extremely well behaved. I would have no problem welcoming him in anywhere.

Re: Animals in stores?

Venezia — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:48:44 GMT

Health regulations in many places don't allow any but service or emotional support animals.

And, quite frankly, I don't like seeing a dog sitting in a grocery cart that I or someone else may later use to put food in.

The guy mentioned in the OP sounds like a jerk. And the owner calling the police was not "uptight". You never know what someone like that will do these days. The guy was clearly looking for an argument - or something he could post online!

Re: Animals in stores?

Kachina624 — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:56:40 GMT

@Tinkrbl44. I agree, dogs have no business in grocery store including the so-called "emotional support" animals ( what a farce). Only bona fide service dogs should be allowed and they are easily identified.

Re: Animals in stores?

Mz iMac — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:00:43 GMT

@Mom2Dogs I take my dog inside all stores except restaurants. That said, my dog is a chi-mix & small enough to fit inside a doggie pouch. Most people assume I am carrying an infant until she sticks her head out.

One I keep inside my car & the other is for home.

My county is dog friendly.

Re: Animals in stores?

Imaoldhippie — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:05:31 GMT

The decision should be up to the store owner(s), be it be a large corp or a mom and pop store. It should be posted in a prominent place before entering the store.

However there are some people that will disregard and do what they want.

Re: Animals in stores?

happilyretiredgirl — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:10:11 GMT

What most people don't respect or take in consideration are people that are allergic to animals. I am highly allergic to animals. I have had bad attacks after shopping before and I can only assume that someone had a dog in the shopping cart. My allergy is so severe that I don't have to be near the dog to have a reaction, I have an reaction if a dog has been near. So only real identified service animals should be allowed out in public...IMO.

Re: Animals in stores?

Travone — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:12:32 GMT

I hate it.

First depending on where you live it may be illegal to bring a non service dog into a store that sells foods such as deli etc.

Here's my horror story. I was in kohls and a woman brings her pet into the changing room. The dog had fleas and was scratching and biting and running through the clothes on the racks. I left and haven't been back.

Re: Animals in stores?

bmorechick — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:17:23 GMT

Well I do not like it. I think the true service animal, being identified as such is an exception. Having your dog in your grocery cart or any cart, your carry all whatever, is ridiculous to me. I was in a Big Lots store and someone had a dog in there on a leash. No service vest/bandana/tag. Well about 15 minutes later, a store employee came over the PA system and said this "OK, whoever has the dog in the store, it just took a s*** in aisle 10 and I'm not cleaning it up...come clean up after your dog." OMG everyone bust out laughing.

We have several restaurants in our beach town that allow a dog, but outdoor dining only. I still don't want no dog near where I eat, but at least they have areas where the dog can be so as not to offend others.

Leave your dog home. If you're that needy, you need more than a dog. Just sayin...

Re: Animals in stores?

CelticCrafter — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:26:24 GMT

This topic always gets heated around here.

Emotional support dogs don't need a vest and shop owners aren't allowed to ask.

So these dog people think everyone else should love their dog as much as they and bring them to the store or doctor or dentist with them because they're emotional support animals.

Re: Animals in stores?

Sunshine Kate — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:28:29 GMT

Years ago when people started taking their dogs to grocery stores, hardware stores, etc. I couldn't believe it.

I love dogs, but I'm not taking mine to stores with me.

About a month ago at a local chain grocery store, a lady walked passed me in an aisle with a monkey on her back. He was just holding on and looking around.

Startled me at first.

Re: Animals in stores?

We rescue cats — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:37:49 GMT

I'm in the 'leave Fido at home when going shopping' camp. Please don't misunderstand, I love animals but they do not belong in a store, restaurant or grocery. I think it is dead wrong that a person cannot be asked to produce a certification, (which I believe is the case here in PA), registration is not required.

Re: Animals in stores?

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:41:12 GMT

@Imaoldhippie The owner had a sign on the door - and he knew that service dogs needed to be wearing a vest the signaled they were a service dog...but the dog owner thru the hippa rule at him....this guy is just asking for trouble as he has gone in several stores in that small town doing the same thing...taking a video and refusing to leave. He has a call into his lawyer.