Non-service dogs in the supermarket

[chiguirre]

Today is the second time in about 6 weeks that I've seen someone walking into the supermarket with a non-service dog. They're not even bothering to put on an emotional support vest, just walking in with their dog on a leash and plopping it down in a shopping cart. Then they walk their dog through the produce and bakery sections and next to the open olive bar. 🤢 I do not want dog slobber in my grocery cart. I do not want dog hair floating around unpackaged food. Your dog may be the love of your life, but I don't want to get up close to its personal hygiene habits. 

The store employees don't want to confront them so the rest of us shoppers have to put up with this nonsense.

Luckily I was with Geezle who is okay with dogs and not with GW who is very afraid of them (because of crappy owners who allow their unleashed dogs to charge people on bicycles on the greenbelt.) Luckily neither of us is allergic to dog dander. But other shoppers might not be so lucky.

[Tanaqui]

You're not wrong. However, on the other hand... is the dog going in the same shopping cart where people often put their toddlers? Because if so, I don't see how dog slobber is worse than kid slobber and possibly slightly-less-than-fresh diapers.

I may only be trying to stir the pot here.

[El...]

Hmm. I think that would be a health code violation here, because of the open food. I'm not sure, though. 

[chiguirre]

1 minute ago, Tanaqui said:

You're not wrong. However, on the other hand... is the dog going in the same shopping cart where people often put their toddlers? Because if so, I don't see how dog slobber is worse than kid slobber and possibly slightly-less-than-fresh diapers.

I may only be trying to stir the pot here.

Ahh, but I don't use the kiddie carts. They're really cool now, with steering wheels and racing stripes.

[barnwife]

1 minute ago, Tanaqui said:

You're not wrong. However, on the other hand... is the dog going in the same shopping cart where people often put their toddlers? Because if so, I don't see how dog slobber is worse than kid slobber and possibly slightly-less-than-fresh diapers.

I may only be trying to stir the pot here.

Dogs lick their rear ends. Their uncovered rear end, if in a cart, is where I put my food. At least a kid has pants on over a diaper.  (Yes, I am sure someone has anedata about how they've seen babies with only a diaper in a cart.)

No dogs in my grocery cart, please.

Also, the kiddie car carts suck. They are hard to steer and have less space. I've never let my kids use them. (Thankfully, I think it's only happened a couple times. Small midwestern stores aren't cool enough for them.)

[Spryte]

Nope. Just nope. I am not on board with dogs in shopping carts. Not at all.

[Pawz4me]

Dog lover that I am, I agree that you're not wrong. The ONLY dogs that should be in grocery stores are legit service dogs.

[Brittany1116]

I don't like non-service animals in stores under any circumstance. Not even purse puppies. And certainly not the pet skunk I recently saw in a Walmart cart.

[Drama Llama]

How do you know whether they are service dogs? 

[athena1277]

Eventually there is going to have to be something to show that your pet is a legit service dog.  For now, I think it would be reasonable for stores to ban dogs in carts.

[Indigo Blue]

It doesn’t bother me that much. But I totally get that the grocery store is just not the place to have a dog. I always wipe my cart down because I don’t know who or what has slimed the cart handle with some type of grossness. 

[happi duck]

A service dog would have a vest and never ride in a cart, correct?

Imo, it's another side effect of our violent culture in the US that employees can't ask people to comply with rules.  I know of a store that forbid employees to ask people to mask even during a statewide mandate.  It was just seen as too dangerous.

[QueenCat]

40 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

How do you know whether they are service dogs? 

By the way they behave. They are trained to perform specific tasks. They don't lounge in grocery carts.

[Pawz4me]

39 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

How do you know whether they are service dogs? 

Usually you can tell by the way the dog behaves (and sometimes by the way the owner behaves).

 

[Drama Llama]

Just now, happi duck said:

A service dog would have a vest and never ride in a cart, correct?

Imo, it's another side effect of our violent culture in the US that employees can't ask people to comply with rules.  I know of a store that forbid employees to ask people to mask even during a statewide mandate.  It was just seen as too dangerous.

No, there is no law that either requires service dogs to wear vests, or prevents people from putting vests on other dogs.

And alert dogs like seizure or diabetes are often small and might be carried.  I don’t think any dog belongs in a cart, I agree it’s not sanitary but I am sure there are service dog handlers who do put their dog there.

[Bootsie]

I did go to the store management--when there was a woman with her giant snake wrapped around in the produce section of the grocery store.  And she was handing it off, taking pictures and the snake was slithering on produce.  The manager said "Oh my we have enough problem with dogs...." as he ran to deal with the situation.  

I am not a dog lover and I don't like having dogs in the grocery store; I like snakes in my grocery store even less. 

[QueenCat]

3 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

I did go to the store management--when there was a woman with her giant snake wrapped around in the produce section of the grocery store.  And she was handing it off, taking pictures and the snake was slithering on produce.  The manager said "Oh my we have enough problem with dogs...." as he ran to deal with the situation.  

I am not a dog lover and I don't like having dogs in the grocery store; I like snakes in my grocery store even less. 

It's insane that she thought that was okay.

[Pawz4me]

Here's my most recent dog-in-store story --

This was in Walmart a few weeks ago. 8:30(ish) in the morning, so not very crowded at all. I left my cart to walk down an aisle to grab an item, turned around and right there was a huge Akita. I'm very short, so we were like chest-to-face (or so it seemed at the time). Now y'all know I'm a dog person, so other than being a little startled it didn't bother me a ton. The dog had on a service-dog-in-training vest, but I could tell this was a regular-person-wants-to-train-his-own-dog. Which I have mixed feelings about but also understand why some sincere people want/need to do that. Anyway, I went on about my shopping and a few minutes later I was standing perusing the yogurt selection when I heard a weird sound behind me. I turn around to see the dog has thrown up. A lot. And by now I"m thinking it's (1) a good thing I'm a dog lover instead of a dog hater, and also (2) it's a good thing the store isn't very crowded because this is not pleasant. And I'm wondering if the owner/trainer is going to call for a clean up in the refrigerated foods section or what. But lo and behold he whips out a bunch of paper towels, a plastic bag and a small bottle of water (or cleaner?) from his backpack and cleans up the entire mess himself. I still don't quite know what to think about that whole encounter, though.

Edited June 6, 2022 by Pawz4me

[chiguirre]

1 hour ago, Brittany1116 said:

I don't like non-service animals in stores under any circumstance. Not even purse puppies. And certainly not the pet skunk I recently saw in a Walmart cart.

 

2 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

I did go to the store management--when there was a woman with her giant snake wrapped around in the produce section of the grocery store.  And she was handing it off, taking pictures and the snake was slithering on produce.  The manager said "Oh my we have enough problem with dogs...." as he ran to deal with the situation.  

I am not a dog lover and I don't like having dogs in the grocery store; I like snakes in my grocery store even less. 

As part of my Stoic practice, I try to envisage a worse situation to be able to be grateful for where I am. You all have helped immensely with that. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I don't like it.  But I know that grocery stores have to walk a fine line.  They can ask if the dog is required because of a disability but they can't ask what the disability is (at least that's what I've been told.)  And if someone lies, then they can't really contest it.  Maybe if the dog actually caused damage or bit someone, but not in general, I don't think. 

As for the cart sanitation - I use the disinfecting wipes at the front entrance for handles and the kid's seat (where I put my purse).  Anything in the general basket of the grocery cart is in a box, jar or bag, even produce. 

[Murphy101]

I’m not a fan bc frankly I’m tired of everyone’s yapping running about dogs. Train the blasted critter, contain it via leash or crate or keep it home!

That aside I’ve enough farm experience to know that’s the natural environment for all things that grow in the dirt.  Animals. Feces. Dirt. You name it.  There’s a reason you should wash it before eating it. 

[Spryte]

I always imagined service dogs walking on a leash, well trained. But I don’t have a lot of experience, and didn’t realize they might ride in carts, if they were a different type of service dog. Good to know.

My kid was so allergic to some foods that riding in carts sometimes gave him hives — maybe a kid before him was eating cookies or something — so we either wiped them down or didn’t use the cart seats for kids. It’s probably a good habit. Cart seats are gross. 

Our hairstylist takes her dog everywhere. It’s not a service dog, and she calls it her emotional support dog (or something like that) but did not get any documentation, just says outright that that’s how she manages to take him in stores. He’s a beautiful white GS, huge, well mannered, but I’m sure makes some people nervous.

[Jean in Newcastle]

7 minutes ago, Spryte said:

I always imagined service dogs walking on a leash, well trained. But I don’t have a lot of experience, and didn’t realize they might ride in carts, if they were a different type of service dog. Good to know.

My kid was so allergic to some foods that riding in carts sometimes gave him hives — maybe a kid before him was eating cookies or something — so we either wiped them down or didn’t use the cart seats for kids. It’s probably a good habit. Cart seats are gross. 

Our hairstylist takes her dog everywhere. It’s not a service dog, and she calls it her emotional support dog (or something like that) but did not get any documentation, just says outright that that’s how she manages to take him in stores. He’s a beautiful white GS, huge, well mannered, but I’m sure makes some people nervous.

In our state (and I don't know if this is across all states or not), they can ask what the dog is trained to do.  If the dog is there to provide emotional support and comfort only then they are legally allowed to exclude the dog.  If the dog is trained to alert to seizures etc. (which even a small dog can do) then it must be allowed - even in areas with food. 

[sweet2ndchance]

This is a huge pet peeve of mine, no pun intended lol.

I honestly think service animals, even emotional support animals, should have to be trained and registered. The same way you have to register for a disabled parking spot.

My husband and I are both legally disabled. We've been thinking about an emotional support dog for my husband. I certainly have no problem with having to register the animal to be able to legally take it wherever dh goes. I honestly don't see why it's such a huge deal to other disabled people. You have to register for a disabled parking spot (which we have, not a huge deal if you are legally disabled) so why not an animal?

I'm not a dog lover or hater, I personally can take or leave having a dog or any animal. But I do like knowing that a professionally trained service animal isn't a threat to me or my children and will generally ignore us in a public place. That's not the case with people who bring their untrained or minimally trained animal into the store. I've seen people's animals bark at other people, lunge, make "messes" and many other things that trained service dogs are trained not to do in the store! There is a reason it takes months to years to train a service dog!

Anyways, that is just my opinion. I'll get off my soapbox now.

[MercyA]

I don't want baby slobber in my shopping cart. I don't want kid germs floating around my food. But we can't have everything we want. 😉 

Seriously, I've seen enough babies chewing on shopping cart handles, kids with runny noses and uncovered coughs, and children with often unwashed hands touching everything to say I'd *absolutely* rather see a dog in a cart than a kid. Plus, then I get to coo over the dog. 😉 

YMMV.

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, Baseballandhockey said:

How do you know whether they are service dogs? 

Behavior, for starters... 

Legit service dogs tend to be far better trained.  They also aren't so small they get dumped in a shopping cart .

 

I have a sil who takes her territorial designer dog every where, claiming it's a service dog. (Nope) That mutt has snapped at 1dd's puppy (now 2x as big), and chased off my cat.  

[sweet2ndchance]

5 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I don't want baby slobber in my shopping cart. I don't want kid germs floating around my food. But we can't have everything we want. 😉 

Seriously, I've seen enough babies chewing on shopping cart handles, kids with runny noses and uncovered coughs, and children with often unwashed hands touching everything to say I'd *absolutely* rather see a dog in a cart than a kid. Plus, then I get to coo over the dog. 😉 

YMMV.

I don't coo over other people's animals or kids for that matter lol. Maybe I'm just getting to be a grumpy old fart but I would LOVE to have store hours that are both kid and pet free lol (legal, trained service animals welcome of course 😉). 

I think there are animals who are better trained than some people's kids but that is another post entirely lol.

[Indigo Blue]

14 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I don't want baby slobber in my shopping cart. I don't want kid germs floating around my food. But we can't have everything we want. 😉 

Seriously, I've seen enough babies chewing on shopping cart handles, kids with runny noses and uncovered coughs, and children with often unwashed hands touching everything to say I'd *absolutely* rather see a dog in a cart than a kid. Plus, then I get to coo over the dog. 😉 

YMMV.

I do pretty much agree with that, lol. But again, I can see where other people couldn’t or shouldn’t deal with that in a grocery store. Though, in a perfect world, I would take my dog everywhere  (if I had one). 

[Indigo Blue]

I would love to have special store hours only for people who don’t hog the aisles. 

[sweet2ndchance]

I would love to be able to do all of our shopping online and not have to deal with going in the store at all but our local Walmart and mom and pop grocery store (the only two grocery stores within an hour's drive) don't offer online shopping yet. So I order as much as I can online from Amazon and anyone else who will ship to us so I can minimize the time I have to spend in the store. 😉

[Jean in Newcastle]

47 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I don't want baby slobber in my shopping cart. I don't want kid germs floating around my food. But we can't have everything we want. 😉 

Seriously, I've seen enough babies chewing on shopping cart handles, kids with runny noses and uncovered coughs, and children with often unwashed hands touching everything to say I'd *absolutely* rather see a dog in a cart than a kid. Plus, then I get to coo over the dog. 😉 

YMMV.

Well, this would be a test for what is a genuine service dog.  Service dogs are working and their owners do not want you to pet them or coo over them. 

[Clarita]

2 hours ago, Baseballandhockey said:

How do you know whether they are service dogs? 

Seeing eye dogs are the best trained dogs (they get weeded out for being too friendly). So you probably wouldn't notice them. The first time I met my friend's seeing eye dog I didn't even notice him for an entire dinner, until she got up and this dog appeared out of nowhere (I think he was slightly under the table close to her).

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

I did go to the store management--when there was a woman with her giant snake wrapped around in the produce section of the grocery store.  And she was handing it off, taking pictures and the snake was slithering on produce.  The manager said "Oh my we have enough problem with dogs...." as he ran to deal with the situation.  

I am not a dog lover and I don't like having dogs in the grocery store; I like snakes in my grocery store even less. 

https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/salmonella/amphibian_reptilian_questions_and_answers.htm#:~:text=Salmonella can spread by either,or aquariums where they live.

Sounds very risky, especially around produce that might be eaten raw even after you wash it.

[Drama Llama]

1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said:

Behavior, for starters... 

Legit service dogs tend to be far better trained.  They also aren't so small they get dumped in a shopping cart .

 

I have a sil who takes her territorial designer dog every where, claiming it's a service dog. (Nope) That mutt has snapped at 1dd's puppy (now 2x as big), and chased off my cat.  

Legit service dogs come in all sizes.  

[stephanier.1765]

My Walmart is in the same shopping center with a vet (my vet, BTW) so it's not unusual for people to go into the store after they've been to the vet. Makes me crazy, but they do it. Last year, a man had his dog in a cart when the dog had diarrhea. Lots and lots of diarrhea. All over the cart. All over the floor. The stench was horrendous. And of course, this was in the produce section. The man was trying to quietly clean up the mess by himself but I went a got someone to take care of it instead. Wiping it up with dry paper towels is not getting it clean. 

With a sick kitty, we've been going to the vet a lot and every time I wish I could just pop into Walmart to grab a few things while we are out. I don't do it. Not even with a pet in a carrier do I do it. Just no.

[Kassia]

57 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said:

My Walmart is in the same shopping center with a vet (my vet, BTW) so it's not unusual for people to go into the store after they've been to the vet. Makes me crazy, but they do it. Last year, a man had his dog in a cart when the dog had diarrhea. Lots and lots of diarrhea. All over the cart. All over the floor. The stench was horrendous. And of course, this was in the produce section. The man was trying to quietly clean up the mess by himself but I went a got someone to take care of it instead. Wiping it up with dry paper towels is not getting it clean. 

With a sick kitty, we've been going to the vet a lot and every time I wish I could just pop into Walmart to grab a few things while we are out. I don't do it. Not even with a pet in a carrier do I do it. Just no.

That is beyond disgusting (first paragraph).

It wouldn't even occur to me to bring my pet inside a grocery store.  I'd feel like you - "wow, Walmart is right here and it would be so convenient if I could grab some stuff."  But it wouldn't be an option if I had a pet with me.  

 

[Arcadia]

4 hours ago, happi duck said:

 

Imo, it's another side effect of our violent culture in the US that employees can't ask people to comply with rules.  I know of a store that forbid employees to ask people to mask even during a statewide mandate.  It was just seen as too dangerous.

A local Safeway employee died yesterday after being shot by someone stealing from the store according to my local news.

 

3 hours ago, Spryte said:

 

My kid was so allergic to some foods that riding in carts sometimes gave him hives — maybe a kid before him was eating cookies or something — so we either wiped them down or didn’t use the cart seats for kids. It’s probably a good habit. Cart seats are gross. 

My kids are prone to hives too so they sat/slept in their strollers if they were too tired to walk until they were 6 years old. 
 

Trader Joe’s would politely tell off customers who put their pets in the carts. 

[KungFuPanda]

4 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

Usually you can tell by the way the dog behaves (and sometimes by the way the owner behaves).

 

Also, if it’s a Yorkie it definitely isn’t a real working dog. 🤣

[bookbard]

I haven't seen a dog in a supermarket, but I have seen people bring their dogs into small stores. It feels like they're so proud of their dog/s that they assume everyone else will want to see them - basically, bringing their dogs in is about the same as bringing their kids in. They're cooing over them, whether they are tiny puppies or gigantic horse-dogs. I think it's just the way people see pets nowadays. I'm not really a pet person, so it doesn't really do it for me. 

[TravelingChris]

5 hours ago, Bootsie said:

I did go to the store management--when there was a woman with her giant snake wrapped around in the produce section of the grocery store.  And she was handing it off, taking pictures and the snake was slithering on produce.  The manager said "Oh my we have enough problem with dogs...." as he ran to deal with the situation.  

I am not a dog lover and I don't like having dogs in the grocery store; I like snakes in my grocery store even less. 

Now I know that other reptiles are carriers of salmonella, are snakes?? Anyone know?  Dmmetler?

[Terabith]

3 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

Now I know that other reptiles are carriers of salmonella, are snakes?? Anyone know?  Dmmetler?

Snakes are definitely carriers of salmonella.  It's important to wash hands thoroughly after handling them.  I would be appalled to see a snake in the produce section, both because of salmonella risk and also because it's not kind to the snake....produce areas tend to be chilly.  

[Ting Tang]

I agree with you.  Some people are very allergic to dogs, and there is no need to bring a dog into the supermarket.  I have a dog, but she stays at home.  

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

Also, if it’s a Yorkie it definitely isn’t a real working dog. 🤣

I'm far from an expert on assistance dogs, but my understanding is that Yorkies have shown good apptitude as medical alert dogs, particularly for people with epilepsy and diabetes.

[LucyStoner]

I’m allergic so it’s annoying on that front.  I also have two sons who are autistic and they were terrified of dogs.  Dogs in unexpected places?  That kind of stuff messed with our whole day sometimes when they were little.  We worked really hard to desensitize them so that they wouldn’t distract service dogs or flip out when spotting a dog. I think that some people have little regard for others.  

Edited June 6, 2022 by LucyStoner

[Lillyfee]

In Germany dogs are usually allowed in restaurants but not grocery stores.

I am still one of the people that would completely lose it over some dog for the reason that I would be like "Oh my God, what a cutie. Your are a pretty boy, aren't you?" 

But I understand that not everyone is that way and if it is not allowed they should obey the rules.

[Roadrunner]

On days like this I am glad I live in a tiny town. 
I don’t disagree with OP, but in my town every store and restaurant has a bowl of water for dogs and basically you can walk in with them anywhere. Shop owners know dogs by names and keep treats for them. Even the bank. When I show up to the bank I have to take my dog in or they will have me return back to the car to go get him. Perks of small town living. But our stores don’t have large enough isles for carts, so there we go. 😉

In the city, or large supermarkets, yes, I would never walk in with a dog. As far as I know only Macy’s and Home Depot let dogs in from large stores around here. 

[Innisfree]

1 minute ago, Roadrunner said:

On days like this I am glad I live in a tiny town. 
I don’t disagree with OP, but in my town every store and restaurant has a bowl of water for dogs and basically you can walk in with them anywhere. Shop owners know dogs by names and keep treats for them. Even the bank. When I show up to the bank I have to take my dog in or they will have me return back to the car to go get him. Perks of small town living. But our stores don’t have large enough isles for carts, so there we go. 😉

In the city, or large supermarkets, yes, I would never walk in with a dog. As far as I know only Macy’s and Home Depot let dogs in from large stores around here. 

Okay, I want to live in your town now. 

[MercyA]

6 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Well, this would be a test for what is a genuine service dog.  Service dogs are working and their owners do not want you to pet them or coo over them. 

Very true! Service dogs should be admired from afar. ❤️

[MercyA]

1 hour ago, LucyStoner said:

I’m allergic so it’s annoying on that front.  I also have two sons who are autistic and they were terrified of dogs.  Dogs in unexpected places?  That kind of stuff messed with our whole day sometimes when they were little.  We worked really hard to desensitize them so that they wouldn’t distract service dogs or flip out when spotting a dog. I think that some people have little regard for others.  

For sure. If the past couple years have shown us anything, it's that.

If it's against the rules, people shouldn't do it, as much as I personally might like it. AFAIK it IS against the rules in all food-serving and food-selling establishments in the U.S., except sometimes when there is outdoor seating available.

I appreciate that some stores do welcome pets. People shouldn't be too surprised to see them in those places. 

Edited June 7, 2022 by MercyA

[Lori D.]

May I just say... As someone who takes Guide Dog puppies in training (in service vests) out everywhere who are always WALKING, and NOT riding in carts, wagons, or other wheeled vehicles!! -- the owners of these pet dogs riding in carts really burns my biscuit. It makes it MUCH harder on those with actual service dogs and puppies in training, as we have to educate employees about what really is legal and what is not.
 

8 hours ago, happi duck said:

A service dog would have a vest and never ride in a cart, correct?

Correct.

And a pet therapy dog or emotional support animal does NOT have the same legal access rights as a service dog (who is there as a guide for the visually impaired, is a hearing assistance dog, has been trained to assist in various ways a person who is disabled), or is trained to alert for seizures or diabetes blood sugar drop).

Those are legit service dogs.

They are almost always walking, usually they wear very specific jackets and may have other special equipment (such as the hard handled harness of a guide dog), and the person can usually provide a card showing proof of the dog as a service animal. Yes, there can be exceptions, but most people who have disabilities and have a service animal want to make it clear that their dog is WORKING, so that people do not distract the dog from its job. 

Here is a helpful FAQ on Service Animal Misconceptions from the National Network of the ADA.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Lori D.