Health code violation?

I know our Wal-Marts don't allow pets in the stores. Our Lowe's and
Home Depots do, but there's no food items being sold there.

Definitely a heath code violation, at least here in VA, not sure which
store that was.

I myself am a dog owner/lover. He's always clean and up to date on
shots...but I would never bring him in a store that sold groceries.

Now Home Depot is another story...he helped me pick out the color for
my spare room...Grey.

Most shopping carts are filled with germs, the handles and seats are
only as clean as the last person who used the cart. How many people
do you see in public NOT wash their hands after using the bathroom or
sneeze or cough into their hands and then touch the cart handle? I
did this last season before I got the H1N1 shot, I got a cart from
outside in the lot and hauled my Lysol spray out of my car and sprayed
it down the seat and handle. The carts are only as clean as the
people who touched them before you! People have germs just as dogs
may. The first thing they teach you in nursing school is to TURN OFF
THE SINK HANDLE with the paper towel, otherwise you are
RECONTAIMINATING your hands with whats on the handle AGAIN! Just the
same with a bathroom door knob, if someone before you touched without
washing and you touch it again whatever they put on the door knob is
on your hands!

I'd bet that the dog was a lot cleaner than the babies who sit in
those seats with loaded diapers and their mouths all over the handles.

What does a service dog look like?

On July 23, 2010, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was
updated following a two-year period wherein the definition of "service
animal" was reviewed to determine whether "emotional support animals"
should be included in that definition. The public had the opportunity
to respond to that definition and whether it should be altered. Many
people and organizations did so.

In the final rule now effective, the ADA excluded "emotional support
animals" from the definition of "service animal." The definition
states that "the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort,
or companionship does not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of
this definition." Therefore, "emotional support animals" do not
qualify for protection under the ADA.

The Department of Justice noted that nothing prohibits a public entity
from allowing "emotional support animals" if it wants to do so, but
they are not required to do so. It is entirely voluntary on the part
of the public entity.

Source: http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/titleII_2010/reg2_2010.html

No. In most states as long as the dog isn't touching the floor it's
fine. It may have been a service dog and you didn't notice. I doubt
the dog is going to tarnish your food.

service dogs do not actually have a "look" per say.

legally a service dog can even be a purse dog, if that dog is
providing emotional support.


as for the dog's feet... unless this dog was opening packages of food
and putting its paws into them, i don't see how it will affect your
sealed food purchases.



In fact the ADA definition of a Service Animal is "*any* guide dog,
signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance
to an individual with a disability."

it also specifically states that certification is NOT a requirement

and that you are NOT allowed to demand for certification either.


http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm

When I take my Yorkie with me, she always stays in my purse.

When i worked for walmart, we were explicitly instructed NEVER to ask
as customer if their animal was a service animal. We had to assume, no
matter what, that it was. Salaried managers could ask, but were not
allowed to ask for papers or other proof.

That used to bug me, people of course would lie about the dog. I have
no problem with genuine, trained service animals, but i have seen many
unruly dogs in walmart and other places, that i KNOW are not service
dogs.

And spare me the "hes a companionship animal" line, the definition of
PET is "animal for companionship" and last i checked, the door said
"NO PETS".

/rant off

people are the ones that buy food. They have to be there. Dogs do
not belong in grocery stores unless there is some medical reason for
them to be there, period. ick.

It might have been a dog that was training to be a service animal. At
the restaurant I used to work for, we had an elderly couple that
volunteered to raised dogs that were to assist the blind. They would
start caring for the dogs when they were young, and raise them. This
involved taking them wherever they would go in order to get the dog
used to behaving appropriately in situations where dogs are typically
prohibited. The dog would always sit calmly under the table and not
disturb anybody. It looked like they had a new puppy with them, but
the dog would be wearing identification that it was a service animal.
This is just one possibility to consider.


If it was a small little lap dog that was sitting there, check this
article;
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/eastsidenews/2002236307_costcodo
g09e.html

If the dog was sitting in the cart calmly and not getting in to the
food or causing trouble, I wouldn't think it makes a huge difference.
If the owner can prove it is a service animal, then so be it.

Some service dogs are used to alert owners who cannot hear.

huh - apparently you can not just claim it is a service dog and shop
owners can ask them to leave. Interesting article here:
http://www.canineandabled.com/Imposterservicedogarticle.html

“Current law provides for stiff federal penalties
(including heavy fines and jail time)—even for first time offenders.”



There are legal steps that can be taken to stop these imposters in
their tracks, and assistance in helping you to recoup damages.
Current and new laws provide stiffer federal penalties (including
heavy fines and jail time).

If you are in doubt as to whether a dog is a real service dog, you may
legally ask the following:

1. Do you have a documented disability? (Note: you may not ask what
the disability is)

2. Is that a trained service dog? If the answer is yes, and you still
doubt the validity of the team; you may ask what tasks the dog has
been specifically trained to do for the person with disabilities. If
you still doubt the answer of the "handler", you may call the United
States Department of Justice Disability Rights Section at: (800)
514-0301, and/or your local barracks of your state police.

**NOTE: Any properly trained team has been fully versed in the law,
knows their rights and responsibilities and will have no issue
answering such questions. Alternatively, if a person balks at
answering these questions, or becomes unreasonably defensive; you are
most likely dealing with an imposter. At this point, you should
refrain from saying anything more, and phone the DOJ and police
immediately to intervene.

If the dog enters your establishment and exhibits any type of behavior
not expected of a service dog (urinating/defecating, damaging goods,
sniffing/bothering other customers, barking, growling, snapping, etc…)
you are well within your rights to ask them to leave. If the dog or
its equipment is not clean (visibly dirty or emits an unpleasant
odor), you are within your rights to ask them to leave. If the
handler gives you any trouble; call the state police barracks nearest
your location, then report the incident to the DOJ. If the dog causes
damage to your facility, or causes an interruption of your business,
you may pursue the incident in civil court to recoup damages. For
illegal handlers with “imposter” or “non-task trained” dogs;
beware---Uncle Sam, the entire service dog community, and myself are
onto you, and we’re cracking

All they have to do is claim it is a service dog and thats it, they
can keep it inside.

We have a guy that comes in. He is always dirty, possibly homeless,
I've seen him on the corner with a sign. And he has this nasty
smelling dirty dog he brings into the store. He has been told by
management that he needs to leave the dog outside but he just tells
them its a service dog.

It pooped in the aisle one and guess what, the guy didn't even clean
it up. it;s a big dog too = big poop.

People complain about him all the time and we can do nothing.

IN restaurants or places that serve food that is ready to eat it is a
violation to have animals in the same area.

However...

The few times I have witnessed this I heard the same exact answer
"this is my service dog". Once they say that its illegal to force
them to remove it.

When I worked at the sandwich shop a lady had her little tiny mutt in
her bag and it kept yelping and sticking its head out, I told her she
had to leave it outside and she got extremely angry, saying "its my
service dog", I asked her what type of service dog and she told me
none of my business.

This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. I am a pet owner and animal lover
and have owned cats, dogs, fish, hamsters, etc and I do not understand
why it is ok for people to bring dogs, birds, and snakes (yes I have
seen people with snakes wrapped around their necks in food stores)
into restaurants, food stores, malls, etc. I can completely understand
service animals but just pushing your dog in a stroller is completely
different.

I was shopping a month ago in my usual store, Wegman's, and I saw a
woman carrying around a small dog like it was her child.

Some people are selfish idiots, and don't think laws and rules should
apply to them. These idiots take the attitude "what does it harm?" I
blame the idiots, and understand the stores are in a tough spot.

I have a dog I care a lot about. When I go shopping, she is safe and
secure in my home.

If you pointed this out to someone, it should have been addressed.
After the fact, I don't know what they can do. I wouldn't want to pay
higher prices to pay a detective to go around policing the carts. Of
course I don't shop at WalMart, so I technically don't have a dog in
this race.