I agree, stores need to crack down and people need to leave their pets home.

It is usually the 'fur baby' people doing this. They also bring them to other crowded places, such as the squares and Farmer's Market. It is the whole 'look at me, I'm special' mentality.

Good luck with stores enforcing anything. They're afraid of losing any customers.

I agree, it's disgusting. Should not happen unless the animal is a true service dog.

Very well said, it's nice to read an intelligent post.

it could be a “emotional support dog”!

We have two different friends who sent away for the phony certification for their dogs so they could "take them to restaurants and travel with them". They are two of the worst behaved dogs I have ever seen and when I see those kind of dogs I get really angry. A real special needs trained dog is obvious by it's stellar behavior!

Bingo; people here are just to judgy.
As for a dog laying cable in certain stores, happens all the time, most likely 1 of 2 reasons.
1, weren’t pottied before entering
2. Anxiety and stress from being placed in unknown circumstances.
#1 is laziness on owners part and #2 can be a danger to those unsuspecting shoppers who HAVE to touch without asking.
True service dogs never leave their owners side, should be on the floor, leashed (retractable is fine for wheelchair handler) (PTSD Veterans may allow their service dog off leash to enter an establishment to make sure it is safe for the Vet, the dog will return to the Vet and signal it is safe to enter)
The service dogs SHOULD NOT be on chairs in a restaurant or fed from the table.
Service Dogs are housebroken
Most Service Dogs wear harnessing, to signal to the DOG they are working, and let bystanders know they should not be distracted. When out of harness they know they can be a dog and off duty.
I learned this and much more from volunteering at Fidelco Guide one of the most trusted names of guide dogs in the nation
Moral of the story, volunteer and stop judging.

I agree, should not be allowed.

I could not agree with you more. I have always felt that these so-called "service animals" are just an excuse animal owners are using to bring their animal with them everywhere they go. Real service animals are supposed to have been trained and have their certificate with them at all times. They may love their pets, but not everyone else does, particularly when it comes to being sanitary. Any grocery store that would allow an untrained, unregistered animal to enter the store is not the place you should be purchasing your food and the management should be told of the occurrence.

I believe this may be against health regulations. I think only service dogs are permitted.

I do wish all stores, especially grocery stores, would prohibit this. In PetSmart one day I saw a little dog lift it's leg and pee on a stack of bagged dog food. I also saw a person in the grocery store put his dog in the shopping cart...so his butt is where everyone puts their food as they are shopping. So gross.

A dog with a job.
 

A dog with a job! Good Dog. Your description keenly outlines a properly trained service animal and I appreciate your experience.

Extensive professional training is required to be a dog with a job. All other dogs without such rigorous training programs are amateurs, “pets”, and all pets are emotionally supportive. Pets are not entitled to vie for space at the seafood counter when I am buying shrimp. They have to stay home. When an identified, badged, harnessed suited professional Guide/Service/K9 unit animal shows up on the scene, I will give that Pro and its handler a great deal of space and respect! I can easily spot a pro in action.

Pets and legit Service Animals - big difference.

It’s up to the human to make the decisions. I often see this phenomenon as well, people risking the health and safety of their dogs by putting them into situations. Example... fast arriving at mail cottage the other day I see a lady with two small dogs like people, on the passenger seat of her golf cart, with two loose leashes dragging on the ground as she rolls in at 15 or 20 mph. I immediately bring to her attention the leases dragging the ground and that could they so easily get caught up in a wheel and pull the dog(s) off the cart while moving... She kinda laughs and grabs up the leases and flips them back onto the seat in the exact same position, dangling towards to ground and goes on to get her mail. Unprotected, put at risk by the owner, these dogs sit on golf cart seat, an accident waiting to happen because the woman is so unaware. Shaking my head...

I think Lowe’s is pet friendly too. I knew in PA the law forbids animals in any establishment that sell or serves food. Service dogs not companion dogs are allowed. You cannot train your own strive dog unless your licensed

Opps, not so. I know someone who regularly takes their little dog into Publix. When asked what the service is for, the owner responds, "I have diabetes" (it is NOT a service animal). Of course, it's not "politically correct" to ask this, but not everyone is up on all the rules and regulations governing dogs. ONLY certified Service animals are allowed in areas where there is food. COMFORT (aka Emotional Support Animals) are NOT allowed in any food areas (eg. Supermarkets, restaurants, etc.) But I have yet to see anyone eject them. I love dogs and have had many over the years. I am not selfish enough to think they have to accompany me everywhere!

Seeing eye dogs are definitely legal, but they are easy to spot. “Emotional support animals” are sort of questionable. I wonder about people who will flip out without their dog present to calm them down. I’ve seen more and more of these dogs on planes in the past couple years (not in the past few months, of course, as I haven’t been on a plane since Christmas). Some are quite large, and the owners aren’t paying for extra seats for their dogs. I’m just glad I’ve never had, say, a golden retriever sharing my legroom. My understanding is that federal law doesn’t actually require stores and airlines to allow emotional support animals the way it does require provision for seeing eye dogs. Some airlines are considering either banning them or requiring them to be shipped in crates in the baggage compartment or requiring passengers to purchase seats for them. Stores could ban them, too, but at what cost? Would customers with such dogs stop coming?

There’s another aspect, though. In The Villages, much of the year you don’t dare leave your dog in a closed car in the daytime, even for five or ten minutes. Even walking your dog in the daytime—especially on concrete or asphalt—verges on animal abuse, right? I’d rather see a live animal in a store than a dead animal in a car.

I see “pets” in the grocery store too. Some laws are an “overreach” IMHO.

Please write your concerns to the manager of the store. He should know how people feel...

Wonder if my wife will be ok with us bringing the monkey to publix later. Will buy him a bunch of bananas there so hope nobody thinks I am dishonest.

Service dogs don't urinate in the dairy isle and owner just walks away. Publix Colony. Service dogs don't wrap themselves around your ankles nearly sending you off balance and owner giggling, "she must like you." Publix Colony. We are over run here with dogs.

Does she supply chocolate milk?

Many of those "service" dogs are not service dogs at all. Don't get me started on "emotional support" animals. UGH!!!

You know this based on what ?
 

Foolish statement. I can not figure how you know what a service dog is and is not. True service dogs come in all shapes and sizes and are sometimes required as companions due to specific problems the owner may have.

If as I think you are divining your info from a mystic source I would love to have the powerball numbers for next week. Thanks in advance. :bigbow:

A service dog is required to have "4 on the floor" at all times.
If it's riding in a cart it's not a true service dog.

Ohiobuckeye
 

I agree with you but in defense with the people that think it’s discussing. Service Dogs have rigid harnesses on them, not a 6 to 10 ft. leach where they can wonder to both sides of the isles. Service Dog are obedient, I also never saw a Service Dog not paying attention to their owner & sniffing everything. I know some people love their pets but leave them home for 45 mins.

Best post in the humor category today # 1

I don't care one bit that it isn't supposedly a health hazard, I don't want some jerk's mutt licking on something I eat.

You can tell a true service animal by how it behaves around other dogs and strangers. Service dogs are extremely well disciplined, don't bark at other dogs and mind their own business.

I've seen untold numbers of dogs with "service animal" vests on that were absolute mutts.......barking at everyone and being a major nuisance to all the bystanders.

Dogs in restaurants that bark and irritate others who are trying to have a nice meal......shouldn't be allowed.

But remember.....it's not the dog's fault for being there. It's the idiot owner's fault. I think that they should be permanently barred from any establishment where their dog has caused problems.:doggie::doggie::doggie::boxing2::

Please define comfort. I have a Belgian Malinois that brings gs comfort to me because he is so loveable so is he "comfort dog"? Hewill never see the inside of any establishment where human food is being sold ,served or prepared.

Ace Hardware also allows leashed dogs on premises.

Rather than everyone agreeing on this venue that “other than service dogs” shouldn’t be allowed, let’s figure out a dialogue for when we encounter this.

Such as:
1) “is your dog a service dog due to a disability”?
2) “what work or tasks has your dog been trained to perform”?
3) “emotional support dogs do not qualify as a service dog, so I am reporting you to the manager if you do not leave now”.

I bought a harness for our lab. My color choices were red or black. I thought black would be too hot, so I bought the red one, stupidly. Now, I am embarrassed when people think she is a service dog due to the color of the harness.

You are not really looking then. There should not be dogs in a grocery store.

Wow really.....I have some many it’s unreal. Just the other day a guy with a Great Dane was in Target. The worker asked could she pet him and he said of course you can....and there your first clue not a service dog. I true service dog is working and are not allowed to be touched while on duty. The dog had no vest stating “Service dog on Duty” that’s an other way you know they are not a service dog.
Problem with this kind of behavior it’s makes to hard for the real working service dogs and owner not to get harassed because of the abusers.

My service Whookie is ALWAYS well behaved in stores. But once, one jerk told him to "sit" and Wally, my lovely companion whookie, kicked him in the nether regions!

Did NOT see any mention of the 'dog licking groceries' being a Service Dog. Where was that in the pjackson8 post? I must have missed it.

The law is a joke, as we all know there are a-lot of dogs that are not service dogs, I for one know this as a fact, I have seen dogs in stores and out-side restaurants that should not be around food. It's sad how some people take advantage of this (so called law), you should be thank-ful that you honestly don't need a service dog, but as we all know, times and people have changed, sad so sad,

Florida regs re service animals:
Florida Laws on Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals | Nolo.

There is a documented case of a house cat that tested positive for CV.

None of my business, but...
 

I am sorry that you have need of an emotional support animal. Why you need it is none of my business, but, I have known many people who have had family members, friends and others who have told them "you need to get a dog (or cat)". I don't get why some folks think that others "need to get a dog, get rid of you Chevy and get a Ford, find Jesus, change political parties, etc". They mean well, I guess, but they are pushing their preferences on you. Your health care person might be a member or friend of the local dog pound and is one of those folks who thinks everyone ought to have a dog.
As for emotional support animals, I have no doubt that any animal you love (I have had many dogs) provides a kind of emotional support, just like a friend. But there other ways to get emotional support. I have been to nursing homes where some of the patients have a teddy bear or doll for comfort and support. Police and Fire units and others sometimes have a teddy bear that they will give to a child that is traumatized. Teddy is always ready to comfort and doesn't have needs that can put stress on a person dealing with their own problems.
And what about the animal? Animals are sensitive to their surroundings and they feel the stress but can't really understand it. All they know is that something is wrong, but they don't know how to fix it. I pity that animal.
While I get that some folks have emotional issues, I feel that there are other, and sometimes better, options for finding comfort rather then placing the burden of stress and discomfort on an animal.
And, yes, I own a teddy bear. No, I don't take it shopping, to the bank, etc.

Please stay. Stay safe. Peace!

... Because pets are not allowed in the grocery, qualified Service animals are; and there is a lot of confusion among the dog-in-public-dog-owners that feel being emotionally soothed by their pet, equivocates with a trained “Service Animal” thinking buying an online certificate and “training them myself” qualifies. I’ve seen signs that spell out the differences at grocery stores.

Pets are great!!
 

Pets are great. They have no business in public.

Leaving a pet in the car in Florida is really never a good thing to do, even for a minute, and will attract attention in the parking lot. I know, in the 70’s my parents used to leave me in the car. Not anymore.

Concrete, asphalt, sand are all scorching surfaces some months. A pets‘ heart is very close to these super hot surfaces. Imagine being 5 lbs, three inches from the hot ground? Home is Air Conditioned and has a food dish. Leave the pets at home for their sake.

If you take your pet to Publix (and it licks the produce) you are the problem, your dog is the victim.

And I do not want to see anyone wrapped up in a dog leash as mentioned. A head injury is no joke. It’s easy to eliminate that risk. No Pets Allowed.

Many posts in this thread are funny and insightful.