Dogs in non pet friendly store?

**disneysteve** · 09-24-2013, 05:50 AM

I hate this. For some reason, businesses are becoming more and more open to pets in places they don't belong - stores, restaurants, hotels, etc. It is a terrible habit. We've been woken up in hotels by a barking dog. We've been eating and had a dog sitting at the next table. I'm sorry. I realize people love their pets and treat them like family members but there are places that are and are not appropriate to have them.

**ua_guy** · 09-24-2013, 06:09 AM

I'm not a fan, and I love animals. I will guiltly admit, I had McDonald's for lunch one day last week. While I was inside, there was a patron in line, on a cell phone, with a live dog under her arm. It clearly wasn't a service dog, and judging how this patron barely put down her cell phone when ordering her meal, it was a clear lack of respect for the restaurant and others around her.

I'm more sympathetic at places like Home Depot where it's not a restaurant, although, the people in the store are generally unruly enough. Now they come with pets, sometimes on a leash, and they feel free to clothes-line other patrons or block an aisle the same way.

**bjl584** · 09-24-2013, 07:22 AM

I love my dog (see my avatar), but I would never take him to a place that he wasn't allowed. Pet stores let you bring your pet, and that makes sense. But, to take your pet to a department store or a grocery store is unsanitary. It should be illegal. Outside of service animals, pets shouldn't be in public places like department stores and restaurants.

**LuckyRobin** · 09-24-2013, 07:40 AM

I see this a lot, especially with those pocket sized dogs that will fit in a purse. Dogs do not belong anywhere that food is served or purchased, unless they are a service animal. People pet their dogs and get licked by them and then touch the food items. This is very unsanitary and I view it the same as going to the bathroom, not washing your hands, and touching food items. It is actually illegal to take a non-service animal into a grocery store in my state. It is even posted on the front doors. But the employees are all too afraid of someone throwing a fit to enforce these laws.

One of the things that really bothers me is pets brought into a doctor's office. I'm allergic to animal dander, it will aggravate any cold I have, and I hate it when an animal is inside. We've had this with the orthodontist, the chiropractor, a doctor's office, and the dentist. And it is the doctor's animal or one of their office worker's animals. These are big dogs, too, who expect everyone to pet them and put their faces where they don't belong or will put their paw up on your leg or even jump up on people. It really upset me when my kids were small because my daughter was terrified of dogs after being bit by one.

Most of the dog owner's around here disobey the laws of the city. They take them in buildings that don't allow them, they let them run around off leash, and they don't pick up their poop. They just don't care. And if you call them on it, they just roll their eyes at you. Rude and inconsiderate folks all the way around.

**disneysteve** · 09-24-2013, 08:00 AM

One growing problem is actually with service dogs. There is no federal or state certification for them. Anybody at all can buy a vest online and designate their dog as a service animal and there isn't a darn thing anyone can do about it. We ran into this problem with an organization I belong to. Someone kept bringing a dog that was clearly not a service animal but this person insisted they were. Our attorneys told us we were stuck and couldn't ban them.

**bjl584** · 09-24-2013, 08:08 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

One growing problem is actually with service dogs. There is no federal or state certification for them. Anybody at all can buy a vest online and designate their dog as a service animal and there isn't a darn thing anyone can do about it. We ran into this problem with an organization I belong to. Someone kept bringing a dog that was clearly not a service animal but this person insisted they were. Our attorneys told us we were stuck and couldn't ban them.

I'm surprised that you couldn't ask the owner for some sort of medical paperwork that states that they need a service animal.

**rennigade** · 09-24-2013, 08:12 AM

Originally posted by bjl584 View Post

I'm surprised that you couldn't ask the owner for some sort of medical paperwork that states that they need a service animal.

Currently, the ADA (americans with disabilities act) states that business owners are only allowed to ask if the dog is a service dog, and what they are trained to help with.” The current law doesn’t require service dog handlers to carry around any special identification.

So according to this...anyone can bring their dog anywhere and simply state they are a service dog and nothing can be done about it unless you want a lawsuit. Although Im guessing the owner would really have to have a service dog to actually win said lawsuit?

From Cesar Milans site article: fake service dogs, real problem

**scfr** · 09-24-2013, 08:32 AM

To answer the original question, NO, I would NEVER bring a pet dog in to a business where it wasn't welcome (pet store, Home Depot, pet friendly mall store or hotel, etc.). And when my dog was alive, the only indoor places I ever brought him were pet stores, pet friendly hotels when we were on our cross-country move after registering him & paying the pet fee, and the dog-related place where I volunteer); though he was a very well-behaved dog, all but the most highly-trained dogs are always going to be a bit unpredictable and I didn't want the distraction of having to worry about his behavior when trying to shop.

Regarding the comment of "where dogs belong" - If the business allows them, then they "belong" there. If it is a pet-friendly hotel, then it is certainly OK for someone who has registered their dog and paid the applicable fee to bring their dog there. If you want to stay only in hotels where dogs are prohibited, then check the pet policy. It's the same thing as if someone wants to dine out without children running around a restaurant. They need to look for a restaurant that has a "no kids" policy or "kid-free time zone" - or eat in the bar where children are prohibited. Otherwise, they can't fault a parent for bringing a child to a restaurant. An unruly child who is not corrected or a dog who barks ceaselessly are another story, but a child who acts up once and is then corrected or dog who barks once when they hear something that sounds threatening to them and is then quieted is normal.

Regarding service animals, in the USA a business may ask if an animal is a service animal needed because of a disability, but under the law they may NOT ask what the disability is or ask for paper proof. (Check the ADA web site if you want verification.) And yes, more & more people are getting fake service dog vests, just buying them on-line. Believe me, nothing irritates the people who work with legit service dogs more. Personally I think it's a truly terrible trend, because it is making some people become unwelcoming and suspicious of the legitimate service dogs who are some of the most wonderful, selfless, and highly-trained creatures out there.

**disneysteve** · 09-24-2013, 08:33 AM

Originally posted by bjl584 View Post

I'm surprised that you couldn't ask the owner for some sort of medical paperwork that states that they need a service animal.

Nope. You'd be violating federal privacy laws.

**bjl584** · 09-24-2013, 08:36 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

Nope. You'd be violating federal privacy laws.

That's odd, because here at work if I miss more than 3 days in a row for an illness, then I am required to provide a note from a doctor that proves that I am actually sick and unable to work. Why isn't this also protected under federal privacy law?

**scfr** · 09-24-2013, 08:45 AM

I very much like the trend of restaurants opening up their outside patios to pet dogs. It gives the "dog people" the option of bringing their dogs with them, while maintaining sanitary conditions inside the restaurant and protecting people with dog allergies, as well as giving people who just don't like dogs the option of eating separate from them.

**rennigade** · 09-24-2013, 09:18 AM

Originally posted by bjl584 View Post

That's odd, because here at work if I miss more than 3 days in a row for an illness, then I am required to provide a note from a doctor that proves that I am actually sick and unable to work. Why isn't this also protected under federal privacy law?

I dont think your note needs to state why you were sick...just that you were sick...is my guess.

No privacy is being violated then? You already told them you were sick...the note from the doctors confirms it?

**disneysteve** · 09-24-2013, 09:28 AM

Originally posted by rennigade View Post

I dont think your note needs to state why you were sick...just that you were sick...is my guess.

No privacy is being violated then? You already told them you were sick...the note from the doctors confirms it?

Exactly. You job has the right to request proof that you weren't out fishing when you said you were sick. They also have the right to know that your condition is not contagious and that you are medically fit to do your job.

**bjl584** · 09-24-2013, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

Exactly. You job has the right to request proof that you weren't out fishing when you said you were sick. They also have the right to know that your condition is not contagious and that you are medically fit to do your job.

That's why I'm confused as to why a place of business wouldn't want some form of proof that someone needs a service animal. Especially in a place where sanitary conditions must be maintained like a restaurant or grocery store.

Dogs in non pet friendly store?