That's A Health Hazard You Know

[Chained to the counter]

I don't know how many times i've had to chase out morons who think it's ok to bring their pets into the store, and i'm not talking about seeing eye dogs, i'm talking about dogs who jump on other customers and shelves full of food, the Paris Hilton wannabes with their wittle doggies in their hand bags and even cockatoos and budgies.

Now i'm a major animal lover, but i'm not dumb enough to bring any of my beloved animals into a store that sells food for gods' sake.

Has anyone else had to chase out customers who have brought poochie to do a bit of shopping?

[HALFHUMANHALFZOMBIE]

Yeah, personally seeing eye dogs shouldn't be in a place with food anyways. blind people should hire a companion or something. Not to be rude or anything but the rule applies to all animals.

[rerant]

ALL the time!!!
Usually when I see people they're coming through cash, so they've already done all of their shopping, so I let them know that in the future they're not to bring their pets. I explain why, what with the whole upstairs resturant thing, and some of them are ok with it, but others get right bitchy with me.
They seem to be of the opinion that the resturant does not evade the fact that we're above all else a furniture store, and "all the other stores" let them bring their petting zoo with them.
While yes, we are first and foremost a furniture store, WE SERVE FOOD, PECKERHEAD!
If someone sat down to a meal at a resturant with their dog (seeing eye excluded) people would lose their minds, screaming about health code violations and the like. So where's the diference?
Oh, I forgot, there ISN'T one!

[Seshat]

Fully-qualified assistance animals such as seeing eye dogs are thoroughly trained to behave properly in places like restaurants. They will get their human to their seat safely, then will lie under the table and be no problem to anyone.

If they've been working long enough to need to drink or whatever, they have cues to use for their human and have been trained to deal with that in a safe, sanitary manner as well.

A fully trained, qualified assistance animal is less trouble and less health risk than many humans. The only health risk they pose is the one they can't help - the allergy risk.

I firmly believe that we need a certification body for service animals, and only these exquisitely trained animals should be fully certified and thus allowed everywhere - the lesser trained (or untrained!) animals are ruining the program for everyone.

(I think the un- or under-trained animals should be limited to animal-intended places: just in case that wasn't clear. Even an obedience-trained, 'canine good citizen' isn't necessarily trained to service animal standards, and doesn't belong in a restaurant. But I'd be perfectly happy to be beside a well-trained 'canine good citizen'-level animal at the park.)

As for 'the blind should just hire someone' - where I am, there is a desperate and chronic shortage of suitable carers across the whole spectrum of disabilities. It's not that easy.

[Rubystars]

Yeah, personally seeing eye dogs shouldn't be in a place with food anyways. blind people should hire a companion or something. Not to be rude or anything but the rule applies to all animals.

I wonder if you'd feel the same way if you needed one.

[draggar]

I've had the opposite problem, HR called me to inform me that I am not allowed to bring in my wife's service dog that I am helping with their training. They say that since I am not handicapped I am not "qualified" to train a service dog. I wonder how they think seeing eye dogs get trained?

(BTW - national law states that service dogs in training are allowed the same access as service dogs).

Also, the person who complained (old store mgr) is a "back yard breeder" and always dumped her lates litter of puppies in the tech room for us to watch. They'd chew on everything and have accidents all over the place. Go figure.

But I agree, with the exception of service dogs, people souldn't bring their pets with them. If there's an issue, they need to make arrangements either with a pet sitter or a kennel. Yes, we love our dogs, but they do not need to go everywhere with us and it is very insensitive to bring them to a place that sells food.

[draggar]

Yeah, personally seeing eye dogs shouldn't be in a place with food anyways. blind people should hire a companion or something. Not to be rude or anything but the rule applies to all animals.

Actually service dogs are far more trained than your average dog, and if you're worried about hair, the amount of time the dog is there won't put any hair in your food, it's the humans who put hair in your food.

Also, service animals are allowed the same access that the person they are supplying the service to. My wife uses service dogs and we're fully aware of the laws.

Now, if the dog is destructive or is casuing a disturbance (barking, chewing on things it shouldn't chew on etc..), then the management of the establishment can ask them to leave.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Yeah, personally seeing eye dogs shouldn't be in a place with food anyways. blind people should hire a companion or something. Not to be rude or anything but the rule applies to all animals.

The costs involved in training a service animal is far less than paying some fair wage to do the same job that the animal can.

Plus there is the fact that the average person whom you would hire can't be there 24/7 like an animal can.

The doge are usually well kept and groomed, they don't piddle on everything (in fact they have ways of letting the person know that they need a loo break), and if you use the right shampoo, you can reduce someone's chances of suffering an reaction as it's not the hair that triggers the allergy, but usually the Saliva and Dander in the coat.

Hence the special shampoo.

If it's a properly trained and certified service animal, the risks to the rest of the world are almost non-existent.

M

[DesignFox]

What's hard about the service animal issue (I had a friend who requires one, and has since started training other service dogs) is that you cannot ask a person to prove that their animal is a service animal. You can ask it if IS a service animal, but if they say yes, you have to leave it at that.

So, if an SC claims it's a service dog, the only way you can ask them to leave is if their animal is outright being a hazard (growling and being agressive, if it pees on something, etc.). Although, the differences between a REAL service animal and someone who is lying would be quite obvious, you just can't take the chance.

Personally, I'm delighted when I see a service dog- those animals are amazing in every aspect of their behavoir.

a reference:
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/animal.htm

To the OP-
I agree, that John Q. Public should not be allowed to bring his pet into a place that serves food! I like to slap people upside the head that I see doing that...Fortunately, I haven't had to deal with that in my lines of work.

[Shabo]

Properly trained service dogs don't jump on people, eat food, jump on anything unless instructed, etc. They are very well behaved, calm animals that are there to assist the person they are with. In fact, they are better behaved then most children! Service dogs are a big help to the people who live with them, and allow the people who need them greater independence to live their life. Now, not everyone with service dogs can drive themselves to the store, but what if they take a taxi to get there to stay independent? They are going to have a tough time getting around the store by themselves, and the stores usually don't have enough employees on shift to take care of individuals needs to that extent. So while it may not be fair that some people get to bring service animals into the store, it's not really fair to tell them they can't bring their eyes or their extra set of hands into the store either.

*edit* There are also seeing eye miniature horses and pigs, too. Just FYI. That I think would be a little strange to see, but they're good companions too. *edit*

[Skandranon]

I work for a vet hospital, so no, we don't usually have to chase out pets and their owners. Until someone brought in a snake. And then someone brought in a deer. A full grown doe. Mass hysteria, I'm telling you.

Dog and cat hospital only, people. Okay, the occasional bird or flying squirrel and once a goat, because the vets are softies, but leave the deer and snakes at home!

[Banrion]

I work for a vet hospital, so no, we don't usually have to chase out pets and their owners. Until someone brought in a snake. And then someone brought in a deer. A full grown doe. Mass hysteria, I'm telling you.

Dog and cat hospital only, people. Okay, the occasional bird or flying squirrel and once a goat, because the vets are softies, but leave the deer and snakes at home!

I am actually surprised at how many "veterinarians" dont have anyone that knows anything about reptiles in their offices. I know most vets have their specialties and their favorites, but I know for a fact that in order to get through vet school, you gotta at least get the basics about reptiles. I have 4 snakes, a tegu, and a cat (soon to be 2 cats), and even the "animal hospital" (they seem to do anything BUT reptiles. I have seen horses, birds, the obvious cats & dogs, ferrets in there) that our cat goes to doesn't do reptiles. If the snakes or tegu have an issue we have to drive about 150 miles to the nearest reptile guy.

[Andara Bledin]

*edit* There are also seeing eye miniature horses and pigs, too. Just FYI. That I think would be a little strange to see, but they're good companions too. *edit*

I'd think horses would be too stupid for assistance, although they do train well. Pigs are scary smart, so I'm not surprised they've been trained as animal assistants.

^-.-^

[Shabo]

I am actually surprised at how many "veterinarians" dont have anyone that knows anything about reptiles in their offices. I know most vets have their specialties and their favorites, but I know for a fact that in order to get through vet school, you gotta at least get the basics about reptiles.

Yeah, but considering how much information vets need to know about EVERYTHING I'm not surprised. Reptiles have different anatomies, different medications, etc. By the time the people get through the basics, then continue with their specializations, they've probably forgotten it. Most vets concentrate on the basic cat and dog. As one vet explained to me, that's the bread and butter of a vet practice. There just aren't enough other animals in most areas to constitute them specializing in anything else. Sorry reptiles, but you're not a common pet, so there's not much reason for vets to spend time learning about you. You should be happy that you know of a reptile guy you can go to. They can be pretty hard to find as well.

I'd think horses would be too stupid for assistance, although they do train well. Pigs are scary smart, so I'm not surprised they've been trained as animal assistants.

^-.-^

Actually, horses are very intelligent creatures. Ponies and miniatures tend to be smarter than larger horses, but they are all very trainable. The little ones tend to have a "wittier" personality too. My little Shetland pony was such a character. He was a cantankorous (sp?) old boy, but man, he was a hoot to be around. I miss him terribly. My Arab would also be a great horse to train as he's incredibly intelligent and will do anything for a treat, but he's too big to fit in a car, or the house. The minis are a fairly new project as seeing eye horses though.

Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guide_horse

[Skandranon]

I am actually surprised at how many "veterinarians" dont have anyone that knows anything about reptiles in their offices. I know most vets have their specialties and their favorites, but I know for a fact that in order to get through vet school, you gotta at least get the basics about reptiles. I have 4 snakes, a tegu, and a cat (soon to be 2 cats), and even the "animal hospital" (they seem to do anything BUT reptiles. I have seen horses, birds, the obvious cats & dogs, ferrets in there) that our cat goes to doesn't do reptiles. If the snakes or tegu have an issue we have to drive about 150 miles to the nearest reptile guy.

It's not really that we don't have anyone on staff that can handle it. It's more that our facilities are not set up for reptiles. We don't have the proper medicines and containers, and there's legal issues to worry about such as our paperwork and insurance, plus the bloody thing was a copperhead.