Dogs should not be allowed near food. I won't eat at any restaurant that allow animals. i was so glad when Publix banned dogs in their stores.

Me too. Publix banned pets and emotional support animals, but they cannot ban service dogs. So, some people still show up with a dog.

I don’t understand why have to take dog or any animal out to dinner UNLESS person legally BLIND by themselves?

Yep, watches guy walk in yesterday with his tiny service dog caring it.

Which is one of the reasons establishments are for the most part prohibited from challenging service dogs. Helping the blind may be the most obvious service a trained animal can provide but is far from the only service a trained animal can provide.

Just because you don't understand what service the animal is providing or the establishment isn't aware that an animal could provide a particular service or neither of you believe anyone really needs that service doesn't mean the disabled person should be denied the service.

I don't have an issue with service animals but the law should provide a way for businesses to verify the validity of the service animals. It should not be an honor system because many people are not honorable.

Zoo
 

If you want to eat with the animals go to the zoo! Restaurants are for humans!

Many people are not honorable and cheat the system. There ought to be a way to catch them and assess penalties for taking benefits truly needed by others.

But that brings us back to dogs in restaurants. What benefits are frauds taking away from those truly in need? What harm are the frauds causing to others? What advantage are the frauds gaining over the rest of us? I can't think of any which is why I wrote what I did in post #36.

My wife wanted a pet monkey but remembered she has me.

I agree, the complainers should grow up.

Apparently not the one in Mulberry

There were a couple of threads last year about dogs in Publix.

There are Federal rules prohibiting pets in grocery stores and no Florida laws explicitly allowing pets in grocery stores. Service animals must be allowed.

Assuming you wrote that because you personally witnessed an animal in the Mulberry Publix, did they knowingly allow a pet in the store, were they unaware a pet was in the store, or are you just assuming the animal you saw was not a service animal?

There are rules but some people lie and cheat and others make bad assumptions. Individual managers may neglect to enforce those rules or they simply may not be aware that rules are being broken.