Leave your pets at home!

[TravisRB69]

I know that Home Depot & Lowes (in this area: Utah) welcome dogs and have treats at the checkout.
Food stores?

I work in a grocery store and people INSIST on bringing their pets in. Petsmart/Petco type places or big box places that allow it (I think someone mentioned Lowes or Home Depot had dog treats at the checkstands in an earlier post) but a grocery store is a little much. These people order generic "Service Dog" vests off the internet somewhere and bring their pet - who the customer, the employees, God and everyone else knows damn well that's not a service animal, because your trembling little chihuahua ain't saving you from squat) and lie their asses off to bring their dog in because they can't be bothered to walk their dog on their own time or take it to the park or something. One guy brought in his pet in one of those obviously-fake vests and went and sat in the Deli eating area. My boss went and asked if it was a service dog and the guy was a douche about it. We checked the laws later and employees can't ask for proof, or papers, or even ask about it. He was your typical man-bun, vape-using Missoula, MT douchebag probably just doing it to start shit because he knew he could and looking for an excuse to sue someone if they pushed it.

Bringing your pets around people food, especially someplace with onsite dining, is just gross. I get service dogs, but it's pretty obvious when your dog isn't a real service dog. I'm not as stupid as I look, thank God. And the fact that you're openly lying about it makes it apparent you know damn well it's gross too.

[Kristev]

In the 80's, when I was a child, there was one exception to the rules that is notable. There was a housing supply store. I don't recall the name, but it was a Home Depot type. Mom would go there to get things for her art projects.

Most people didn't bring in their pets. There was a cat there, though. She owned the store and the staff let her stay for one very good reason: The store had a problem with mice at night. Once she claimed the place, that problem thinned down considerably. Not totally gone, but it happened. So, to put it another way, a cat decided she owned this store and stayed there, but the managers let her do it because she vastly reduced their rodent problem.

The main reason I remember her is because she give birth to kittens. The store gave them away, and that's how we got two of my first cats, Lawrence & Garland.

[Seanette]

I met a very sweet puppy at an auto parts store yesterday. Firmly in her human mom's arms the whole time (Dog Daddy was dealing with their purchase) and a very good babydog she was. Got thoroughly puppy-kissed (as much as my mask allowed), and Dog Mommy was a nice young lady, so they improved my day a good deal.

[csquared]

He was your typical man-bun, vape-using Missoula, MT douchebag probably just doing it to start shit because he knew he could and looking for an excuse to sue someone if they pushed it.

IANAL

There is a little Catch 22 here.

You can not ask a service dog owner to provide proof that their dog is a service dog.

If Mr. Manbun doesn't actually have a service dog, the law does not protect him. He would have no grounds to sue.

[dalesys]

...You can not ask a service dog owner to provide proof that their dog is a service dog...

I am cynically certain that the law was intentionally written that way to keep form losing the donations of myriad blue-haired old ladies (of every sex) and their shrieking purse poopers.

[mhkohne]

In the 80's, when I was a child, there was one exception to the rules that is notable. There was a housing supply store. I don't recall the name, but it was a Home Depot type. Mom would go there to get things for her art projects.

Most people didn't bring in their pets. There was a cat there, though. She owned the store and the staff let her stay for one very good reason: The store had a problem with mice at night. Once she claimed the place, that problem thinned down considerably. Not totally gone, but it happened. So, to put it another way, a cat decided she owned this store and stayed there, but the managers let her do it because she vastly reduced their rodent problem.

The main reason I remember her is because she give birth to kittens. The store gave them away, and that's how we got two of my first cats, Lawrence & Garland.

My local Ace Hardware has a feline in residence like that. Seems like a good way to handle the rodent issue to me.

[workerbee222]

Actually, I think one CAN ask what service the dog provides, or ask for a demonstration. You may not ask about the owner's disability.

Decades ago, a man came to our school with his seeing eye dog. He talked to us about his dog, and demonstrated some of the things the dog could do besides navigate them down the street.

Our workplace didn't have a hard-and-fast rule, until two dogs in a row relieved themselves in the store. I started to step outside one day: and one step up from the sidewalk on our steps was some dog fecal matter. It's almost as if someone directed the dog onto the step to do his business. Sadly, it's not the dogs' fault.

Two local landscaping/ seed stores and the local hardware store have cats to keep the rodent population down.