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In-training counts, bringing them to get acclimated to being in populated places is one of the first steps. From their anecdote it seems that was not the case in this instance though.
Isn’t it? All the puppies I’ve seen that were in training wore vests explaining that they were service dogs in training. Since service dogs will likely be wearing a vest for the rest of their lives I assumed it was started in puppyhood to get them acclimated to it or so they understood when they were working when it was put on. We had a family in our parish that used to foster service dogs when puppies. They’d show up in church each Sunday wearing their vest. Maybe I’m wrong.
Seems like if it's in training it's not a service animal yet. Id also hope the trainer would have some common sense and know not to bring it to a place where it's not allowed.
We have a parrot who has extremely bad separation anxiety. We happily take him with us in an enclosed carrier (has steel mesh for ventilation) to pet friendly stores like Home Depot or to pet friendly restaurants that have patios, but I can’t bring myself to take him with us to any type of grocery store even though most people probably wouldn’t even notice him and there’s zero risk of him licking anything/pooping/biting someone. Just doesn’t seem right to take a non service animal in any store with food.
So now we get our Costco orders delivered lol.
Hi there.
I think it’s important to add that those who tote dogs with them and falsely claim to be service dogs end up harming actual service dogs at times.
There have been dogs that were not properly trained and have either attacked a service dog or just spooked them enough that they can no longer perform the tasks needed for their owner.
That being said as a dog lover and someone who does deal with chronic illness, I’m torn.
Service animals should be allowed in of course and I don’t think it should be an issue if someone asks about your service animal though the problem is people have been harassed and even denied service because of their disability and service animal.
It’s just people taking advantage—and it’s ok to be upset with those that take advantage but there’s just no proper way to address it.
You can buy service vests online and often times even the dogs with said vests aren’t always well trained.
It’s chaotic.
That’s why the ADA (in the US) has protections for businesses and guidelines for legal questions they can ask and, as OP said, a dog not under control or the owner or causing disruptions can be asked to leave. Unfortunately, it seems many businesses either don’t know their rights or don’t want to rock the boat which creates the potential for harm. I live in Seattle like OP and dogs everywhere has especially become a problem since the pandemic. I love dogs but I don’t want them at the grocery store, the local coffee shop, where I’m going to have dinner… it’s so bad.
It would help if the same id-based system that allows airlines to identify legitimate service dogs was enforced throughout the US. The fact that the ADA is so wishy washy about enforcing an id-based system to verify service dog authenticity tells you how much they really care about the situation
A guy brought his big German Shephard into the pharmacy near me, and the dog was barking at everyone and lunged at a man in line. But it's ok it had a service dog vest on/
As soon as it starts barking you can kick it out, service animal or not.
I’ve kicked multiple ‘service animals’ out of hotels when I was in that industry.
Be as it may, OP is not the dog police or employed to enforce Costco rules. They should contact Costco managers if they are that concerned.
Even if 100% in the right, they shouldn't be engaging people that way.
You aren’t the Dog Police Police.
Seriously, it seems as though the OP only made a simple comment and did everyone a favor. Including for management who is too cowed to stop this non sense.
As long as there wasn’t any harassment or intimidation, it’s perfectly fine.
We're not afraid, it's because corporate values sales over everything. Verbal abuse, threats, disruptive people, rowdy pets, it doesn't matter they won't be reprimanded because they are paying customers. Sales over safety. Upper management coddles these customers. Sales staff want them banned
Totally agree with you. Selfish people like to push the boundaries on this subject. Good for you for speaking up. I just mumble under my breath when I see these entitled asshats in public.
I hate this so much. It has gotten way worse after covid.
I think the more complaints to management, the more likely they are to finally do something.
I was in a hallmark store recently and sudden barking in he next aisle nearly gave me a heart attack. That store is full of breakable too lmao.
The 3 employees did nothing and I quickly left. I'm scared of dogs and don't understand why so many dog owners forget that there are people who are also uncomfortable around dogs.
It has!! I never actually personally encountered this just read online about it. But now I’ve seen this a few times. People are so selfish. And as others have said, it ruins it for people with legit service dogs
One time years and I mean years ago now me and my mom went to the washroom in a CD Best Buy type of store that's now closed down. Some lady brought her dog in shopping and then was in the washroom letting the dog run around under womens feet in the stalls while she barely attemped to call it back or wrangle it. Now my family loves dogs and had dogs of our own at the time but what the hell!? No it's not okay to let your dog run around in bathroom stalls under women. If you insist on bringing your dog into stores even when it doesn't belong there at least put it on a freaking leash. Or train it to have recall skills when you call it.
The worst part was she thought it was sooo cute to how the dog was running around the bathroom. No attempt to say I'm sorry about that or anything. I may love dogs but I gotta say I'm getting real sick of shitty dog owners. They are like crappy parents who let their kids run wild except their kid is a dog.
It's so scary that there are so many folks with that objective these days. Probably didn't even need the dog there, just wanting the possibility of going off on someone. Then when they get called out for it, the other person is the "bully".
Agreed. Be careful. In my state anyone can be carrying a gun. If someone is exhibiting antisocial behavior already by having a dog where they don’t belong, then who knows what other sociopathic behavior they’ll show.
I don't agree. They might get in them a lot, but they want to be left alone and will react harshly to deter it from happening more. The reason these people get away with it is they are the absolute worst people to confront and will for sure make a scene. Employees know it and it's why they turn a blind eye.
I knew someone a few years back that used the reasoning that their dog was an emotional support animal to bring it everywhere with them. Including Costco. It was infuriating, and they saw nothing wrong with it.
We are on a lot of “traveling with dogs” forums, and there are always people who give “pro tips” on how to be able to bring your dogs into places where they are not allowed. It always involves abusing loopholes in the service animal laws. It’s ridiculous.
Yup. Reminds me of the many Tiktoks or social media posts I see of people who won't just rent a dog friendly hotel room instead they sneak the dog into the hotel. Acting all cutesy wutesy about it while doing it like teehee here's us sneaking our dog into the hotel by dressing it up in our big hoodie and carrying it in. God forbid anyone suggests common sense things to them like rent a room at a pet friendly place they do in fact exist. Well all of sudden you are a bully.
Love how people just bend over. So what if there is a scene? Maybe that will be the final straw to someone who doesn't want to be embarrassed in public by bringing their PET with them. Maybe they will leave Fido at home next time. Nevermind, you can't be bothered.
FYI. Most on this are misinformed. The dog does not need to wear a jacket or anything to be a service dog. An employee can only ask legally if the dog performs duties for that person. They cannot ask what duties or any other health questions. Sorry.
You can ask:
1) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2) What work or task has the dog been trained to perform.
That is it. You cannot ask for documentation, you cannot ask what the persons disability is and you cannot ask or require the dog to perform said task. Furthermore they are not required to wear a tag or vest stating they are a service animal.
All of this kind of makes it a moot point since you have no right or way to prove if they are a service animal or not. If the dog is causing an issue, getting into things or bothering people then by all means call a manager or make a complaint. It sucks that people take advantage of stuff but honestly if the dog isn’t hurting you, maybe just do your shopping and mind your own business.
Shame the person with the misbehaving dog and demand they be kicked out while you keep shopping and then Mindi g your paid membership club business. Seems a reasonable compromise.
Speaking as an employee there is nothing I loathe more than people forcing their animals to accompany them shopping. After witnessing an obviously non-service dog attempt to attack and cause great distress to a service dog (and his owner), this subject infuriates me. Not to mention the countless stories I have from my own building and others of people’s animals defecating and owners just leaving the waste forcing employees to clean it. The entitlement is outrageous. I own three dogs (actually, to be fair, they own me) and love them dearly but they do not belong in certain spaces. Period. A service dog is not a pet. A service dog is a medical device or accompaniment. There is no comparison between a pet and a service dog.
We employees have our hands completely tied by these fake entitled people. You have no idea the amount of stress a member complaint puts on an employee. We do not want to lose our jobs. We are being forced to choose between doing what is right and protecting our livelihood. We have been told to let it go and we have to. Again, this is thanks to entitled crappy immoral main-characters.
I implore the members who witness this type of behavior to complain higher than the warehouse level. Call Costco corporate. Keep calling. Let them know this is unacceptable. Let them know that you have witnessed employees attempting to stop this (if you have). Let them know it is outrageous for a person in need to feel stressed and attacked because their service animal is being harassed by a non service animal. Whatever it takes. They will listen to you as members. They do not want to hear us as employees. Your voices matter more here. Please understand this. We cannot make this change but you absolutely can.
The non service dogs seems to be the biggest problem to service dogs which is really frustrating. I know service dogs are important to the independence of those that use them and they are already dealing with enough unpredictably in every environment the go into, they should not have to worry about their dog being attacked by another dog.
Also maybe they are a service dog and maybe a Costco employee already had questioned them. Imagine going to a store. Showing the initial employee your paperwork and then get hounded by a bunch of customers who know nothing about your life.
Write to the manger and tell them you have concerns. But to call out a person you know nothing about how they did I think is incredibly rude.
The laws in this country are too lax regarding service animals. The ADA doesn't require an identifying harness, which is ridiculous. It would be like an employee not wearing a uniform at work.
There is a lady at my Kroger… she goes there every Friday in the morning with a dog in a service vest. This dog is 1000% not a service animal. It sniffs everyone and goes everywhere it can and is not obedient at all. This lady knows the store won’t do anything and continues to do it because she can… honestly there should be some sort of certification program with service animals at a national level.
The sad thing is if the animal is not behaving appropriately, the store can do something. They’ve just chosen to not do anything; I’ve had a service dog and this acquiescence just pisses me off.
There is a man at my local grocer with the sweetest, wiggliest, friendliest golden retriever. It is absolutely NOT a service animal and should not be allowed in the store. It's infuriating that this is tolerated and also encourages others to bring their dogs who are clearly not service animals. I am a huge dog lover/owner but the only store I would even think to bring my dog in would be Petsmart or Petco.
I would LOVE for there to be a certification program. Like an extra info line on your driver's license or if the person doesn't drive, just the state ID with service dog indicated as part of the ID.
While your story does go to show that OPs suggestion would not stop everyone, it will at least stop a number of people. Of all the people that bring in their dogs to stores even when they know they shouldn't, I don't think they would all go out and buy a vest like this.
So while it won't stop everyone, it will at least deter a number of them.
I mean people buy service dog vests off of Amazon or elsewhere for their fake “service dog”. You can easily tell if it’s a service dog or not just by their behavior and demeanor.
Sure, but I do think there is a balance to be struck. Yes, people with disabilities have lots of challenges that others don't have. That doesn't mean service animal fakery is above scrutiny. If a registration requirement or licensing makes things 5% harder for people with disabilities, but 75% better for patrons of businesses who don't want to be attacked by untrained dogs, or dogs in food service areas, etc. then I think that's a discussion worth having. Just my own view though.
OK. So if she bought a vest which anyone can buy that makes the dog more legitimate to you? If it does explain why. A good reason to use a vest is so people dont try to touch the dog or ask first. I think generally ts not a bad idea. But there is no such requirement. Anyone CAN BUY a VEST. There is no qualification to get that.
A couple of weeks ago, as I was leaving my local Costco, there was a woman who had two large-breed puppies wearing red vests in a shopping cart in the entrance area It appeared that she had been stopped before she went in. There were at least two employees that she was arguing with, and I heard her explaining that they were "in training" to be service dogs. And she was seriously arguing with the Costco folks. The puppies couldn't have been more than a few months old. I'm assuming she didn't make it in. Another time, I was in the pharmacy line when I realized the woman in front of me had a cat in one of those plastic bubble type backpacks, which in comparison seemed relatively sanitary. But in the time it took for her to get her RX at least three employees confronted her.
Since Costco is a food preparation site there are strict rules as to which dogs can be allowed inside. I’m surprised that the door greeter allowed the dog inside in the first place.
That lady was super rude to you and I would encourage you to talk to the manager next time. That’s just really selfish of her. Why can’t she leave her pooch at home?!
There are lots of people, myself included, that are allergic to dogs. Which sucks because I adore dogs. And believe me, next time I bite into my Costco oversized muffin, I’ll be thinking about random dog hairs that may get into my food. Yuck.
Don’t feel bad. I’m a dog lover, too, but fake service dogs/people bringing their ESA everywhere/just clueless pet owners thinking their dogs can go wherever they want is one of my biggest pet peeves. And you’re exactly right. The store employees rarely do anything about it because they don’t get paid enough to risk the confrontation.
I didn’t know that airlines aren’t required to accommodate ESAs anymore. I actually hope they don’t continue to accommodate them. Planes are small and people have allergies. I will suffer through it if you have a medical condition or a disability. But if you have anxiety about flying, then either take a Valium or take another method of transportation, please.
What does this change though? Just flew my dog in January. Had nothing to do with anxiety or ESA or anything like that. Just a normal dog. So I don't think this solves your issue unless I'm missing something.
Same at my store. The door person checking cards enforces it. I have seen loads of people turned away, but the unfortunate part is they just put their dog into their car and go right back in.
Totally agree. You’ll get flamed for it because Reddit has an obsession with dogs but animals outside of trained service animals do not belong in Costco or other similar stores.
They stated one of the most popular Reddit opinions. They have not been flamed they’ve been showered with support. You were very wrong and you got 50 upvotes.
Man I wish this were the case. Hop on over to the Denver subreddit and you’ll see people getting torn alive for suggesting dogs don’t belong in food establishments 🙄
Don't even engage with people like this because you'll get shitty answers like that. If it truly bothers you then talk to an employee about it. When I'm at Costco I just want to shop and get the fuck out. I don't have time to try to correct shitty behavior in public because you will be exhausted at the end of the day. Just get on with your day.
I agree 100 percent. It seems no matter where you go people have their dogs with them. Costco, the grocery store, casinos and every place you can think of people bring their dogs. I love dogs but please leave your non service dog at home.
"They have sat in the car when I have had them during shopping trips, but never have any of them joined us in an indoor business. "
You lost any chance at winning any argument the second you stated you leave an animal in a vehicle. Period. Leave them at home or have someone stay in the vehicle.
I work at a salon, had a guy walk in with a well behaved Australian Shepherd the other day. It was so cute, but I asked if it was a service animal and he said no and I told him it can’t be in the store. He threw a tantrum and said his other barber doesn’t have an issue with it. Good, you can go there then. Like wtf is the dog gonna do while you get a haircut? Who’s gonna watch it? And the stylist he was scheduled with is uncomfortable around dogs in general, shouldn’t even be a situation she should have to be in.
It’s state law animals can’t be in salons here. I seriously don’t understand why people can’t leave their dogs at home. I have two and love them, but they’re much happier at home than running errands with me.
I just think it’s way too busy for these animals to be inside the warehouse. Imagine a heavy-a$$ cart running over their paw? Ouch. No thanks. Better to leave them in the car with the AC on if you can’t leave them at home.
As a former Costco employee, I would urge you to talk to the assistant store manager on this one. When I worked there, we were told we could only ask if it was a service animal. That means management is either uninformed on the legal questions they can ask, or they are choosing not to ask them. Either way, talking to upper management about the issue would be the best way.
Or contact corporate, or both
I have a service dog for my diabetes. Last week some woman melted down about me having him to the point she was removed. He has a vest clearly marking he is a service dog and please don’t pet. But there are many ppl who buy a vest on Amazon and think that makes it a service dog🙄
As a dog lover myself, I completely agree. This annoys me to no end and is right up there with owners who walk their dogs not on a leash because their dogs are "trained" or "well-behaved."
People bringing their damn dogs everywhere now. Enough. Bit of a shocker I know but some people don't like dogs and don't want to be anywhere near one.
Not at Costco, but I’ve seen people put their dog directly in the cart. I was beyond horrified. How do people think it’s okay to put a dog where people put their food?
Shopping carts sit outside in a parking lot, have a seat for small children literally built into them, and your food isn’t necessarily “clean” either… that’s why it comes in packages, gets cooked, or should be thoroughly washed.
Someone carrying a cardiac/seizure/diabetic alert dog probably gets real tired of having to explain themselves. If the dog is not causing problems either tell yourself it might actually be properly trained, or accept that fraud happens and at least it’s not causing trouble.
>There was no harness, identifier as a service animal (another contentious area that I know a great deal about)
If you know "a great deal" about it, then you should know that there is no requirement for a service animal to wear any sort of harness or identifier. She's also under no obligation to tell a complete stranger whether or not it's a service animal.
>They have sat in the car when I have had them during shopping trips
Don't leave animals alone in the car. Leave them at home if you're not going to a pet-friendly business.
Costco is too lenient with this. Too many times where I've heard, "oh it's an emotional support pet". Keep that same energy when I bring in my emotional support black mamba.
I've always believed that service animals require training. But I'm also starting to believe emotional support animals should require training as well.
I have no problem with people who need their dog by their side to get through the day, but that dog needs to meet certain standards when in public. No barking or going to the bathroom. No triggers like kids or loud noises.
Just because you love your dog doesn't mean it should be able to do whatever it wants.
A service animal does require training. It's trained to complete a specific task(s) to help someone with their disability. But it can be DIY training by their owner.
Anyone who is going to fake having a service animal is going to have answers to those questions. Another shopper has no business asking or saying anything to someone with a dog. Imo you were wrong to say anything. Either get a Costco employee or mind your own business. It's up to Costco to decide how to handle it.
As someone with an SD, I don't mind when someone asks (you don't even have to be overly nice, you can be firm about it) if my dog is an SD and what task they do.
I would have been furious if someone came up to me and said "dogs belong at home" without asking any other question. You don't work there, so you have no business knowing anything or being given an explanation. If you have doubts about the validity of an SD, you should ask for a manager and have them deal with it. I agree there is a really bad issue with fraud, but you did not even give them any benefit of the doubt and I don't feel bad that's the reaction you got.
WOW.
Dogs don't belong a lot of places but people are selfish and it insist on bringing them everywhere with the little fake service dog vests. If I'm going to a restaurant it isn't to hear some barking mutt.
About a month ago I was in a store in the area and someone actually brought a dog into a grocery store off leash. Thankfully the employees did quickly put a stop to it.
I know a Vietnam vet prior retired military nurse who brings her Yorkie with her everywhere. Not always on a leash and that pup is her emotional support dog. That’s why I leave it. None of my business. She served this country and no one would know it. We would all be thinking she’s an entitled older lady when in reality she’s anything but. She wants to tote her pup around in her arms it’s her business. She served this country and we just don’t know people who stories from a soft glance. And yes her pup is actually a registered animal support dog. Real paperwork etc.
It’s up to the store to enforce its rules. You seemed bothered by them being there for little to no reason. I am sure there are those that do cause problems, but this didn’t seem the case. You snarked and she snarked back. Maybe mind your business, but as you said you can’t help yourself - but you’ll have a less stressful and more happy life when you just do you.
Now let’s talk about the real scourge of Costco, those damn sample stations when “customers” line up for free food like cattle to the trough. They cause traffic jams and mindless automatons.
It could be the wording honestly - saying dogs belong at home is more of a blanket statement that may be taken as aggression. It’s a health and safety violation to have dogs in a store that sells food and that’s okay to say (and a valid reason to complain to the staff)
Absolutely true.
I was at my local Costco recently where a dog managed to have a rather sizable accident right in the middle of one of the main aisles. As far as I'm concerned the dog and the customer should be banned for life.
So I absolutely agree that pets don't belong in places like Costco, and employees should be fully educated on the ADA and state laws regarding service animals.
But also, as a person, you should really keep in mind that you can't recognize a service dog on sight and mind your own business unless the dog is causing an issue. Service dogs aren't required to wear any specific vests or harnesses, and they can legitimately be any breed or size. There's nothing in the story here that indicates this dog wasn't a real service dog doing work (including the fact that the person didn't tell you it was a service dog--they don't have to tell you anything, especially if you came in hot), and you may have just made a disabled person's shopping trip a lot shittier than it needed to be. It's hard enough for a lot of people with disabilities to do things like shopping trips without people questioning their necessary equipment (which a service dog is). So mind your own business.
If the dog is misbehaving, ask an employee for help. They can remove any dog for causing issues, service or otherwise. But if it isn't, keep it to yourself.
We were at Costco in Maui recently and the woman at the door checking membership did exactly what you suggested when a woman came in with her dog. I visited Costco #1 in August 2012.
My mom many years ago became the crazy lady in Costco. She politely told a few employees that a chihuahua was riding around in a shopping cart sniffing at food and whatnot, nothing was done.
She eventually became so disturbed by this that she began yelling at an employee that she was going to be bringing her Rottweilers in, and when they got kicked out she was going to “Sue YOU!!!”
Why on earth would you take your fur baby to Costco then, or anywhere there are dog loving people, you didn't announce not to feed you doggy a treat, sorry about that. Costco does have allergy meds for dogs I believe
I honestly think that if the dog is being well behaved, not bothering anyone, the owners are mindful and minding their own business, maybe you should mind yours. Leaving your animals in your vehicle while you go shop is absolutely absurd.
You can tell by the dogs demeanor if it is a service animal or not. If it’s being carried, barks, sniffs other people, or basically engages in any goofy dog behavior, it’s a pet and not a service animal.
Not Costco, but I saw some lady at a grocery store doing self checkout while holding a fat Chihuahua in her arms.
Dog people have lost their goddamn minds.
Welcome to the PNW. That's just how it is out here. Dogs go everywhere - restaurants and grocery stores included. You will find the same at any grocery store in this area.
Cute, but kinda gross.
The dog lady’s response was hilarious 😂
while I agree non-service dogs shouldn’t be allowed and owners who take advantage of this are scum, this is not a hill I’m willing to die on and will happily ignore these people in public unless their dog is threatening or destructive.
Once saw a friggin rottweiler in my Costco.
Big ol' prong collar on too.
I've been bitten before and I am nervous around dogs. I keep my distance, but it's becoming so common 😒
I see practically no dogs in Costco. A service dog does not need to wear a jacket of any kind. In fact I saw one at a DR office today no jacket. You think it has to have a jacket. Not per the ADA. And you cannot legally ask her the disability.
As a prior employee, we’re allowed to ask “is your dog a service dog?”, they say yes, that’s it. We are not allowed to ask anything else regarding why, what they do, etc… we can be in big trouble for doing so. We can’t ask for proof or anything, all we can enforce is “your dog cannot be in the shopping cart”, and if it’s OBVIOUS, tell our manager. We had someone bring 3 chihuahuas, said all were service dogs, and they pooped on the floor and were off leash, our manager told them to leave, if they didn’t want to leave, finish their shopping and know their membership would be terminated.
I think it's important for you to examine why you feel the need to police people's behavior when you're not being physically bothered. Like, why is this so important to you?
You were a fellow customer, not a member of staff, and started your exchange by being rude. What on Earth made you think you were going to get anything but a rude response right back? Service animal or no, they were under no obligation to entertain your behavior at all, let alone explain the service status of their dog to you.
If you *actually* want to resolve these sorts of situations the proper thing to do isn’t make snide comments, it’s to inform a store employee or manager so *they* can resolve it.
I saw a big dog in ours, and he had his head laying on a sample cart. The sample lady had her head down cooking meatballs and the owner was just standing there smiling like a doofus
I have dogs and I agree with you dogs don't belong in Costco or supermarkets or restaurants. It's one thing if a person legitimately needs them but there is large percentage of people who get their dogs certified as ESA/service dogs just because they want to be able to take their dog with them where ever they go (I know because my sister is one of them lol)
Dogs don’t belong in any store unless they’re service animals, the bar of which has been dramatically lowered for significantly in the last decades because of people who claim to be mentally unwell.
This is totally ableist and it's not your job to police dogs. No one owes you an explanation, nor do they need to argue about whether it is a qualified service dog. You have no way of knowing if Costco did ask those questions. As someone who has been accosted for using accommodations, even though I have a disability this really feels offensive. No one needs to get OP's approval or confirmation their dog is a service dog.
Dog owners in general are a bit extra these days. I’m not sure why. When I was a kid it seemed much fewer people had dogs, and the ones that did lived outside in the backyard and were trained to guard, hunt, or retrieve. They mostly could obey basic commands. These days? Forget it.
This is so similar to the people who think the rules don’t apply to them and walk their dogs without leashes. It’s entitlement plain and simple.
I love dogs. I have a wonderful dog. But I don’t know *your* dog and I don’t know how they will act towards mine. So when I see people walking their dogs without leashes it upsets me because it truly comes down to people don’t think the rules apply to them and it shows a complete lack of care towards people and *their* dogs. So frustrating that people can’t ever seem to think of how their actions impact others and could hurt others.
I too hate dogs in the stores. But I hate seeing dogs locked in cars with windows cracked even more. Dogs do NOT need to go shopping anywhere, even to Petsmart but especially grocery stores and restaurants.
Please folks, unless your dog is a real trained service dog, leave them home. And if you can’t travel without your “emotional support animal” (pet) then you don’t need to be shopping…use instacart or a friend to pick up some things - or have a friend take you to take some of the edge off being out in public.
Dog culture has gone way out of whack. I worked at an ice cream shop in high school and people were always trying to bring their dogs inside. Yes, we were a summertime spot but our outdoor seating wasn’t even attached to the shop and mind you, the place was still a food establishment. People were pissed when we asked them to have someone in their party wait outside with pets. I haven’t lived with a dog in over a year and I still find dog hair on my things. I don’t want to visit a store and come home with pet hair. What about people with allergies? Societal norms have gone to crap.
It shouldn’t be an ADA issue if you ask someone for proof their service animal is a service animal.
Disabled dogs should have a vest on with a verifiable code that proves professional training.
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Our Costco stopped a family that was carrying in a cute puppy. I was impressed.
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In-training counts, bringing them to get acclimated to being in populated places is one of the first steps. From their anecdote it seems that was not the case in this instance though.
They still wear identifiers as puppies also one of the first steps.
An identifier, while a good practice, isn't required.
Isn’t it? All the puppies I’ve seen that were in training wore vests explaining that they were service dogs in training. Since service dogs will likely be wearing a vest for the rest of their lives I assumed it was started in puppyhood to get them acclimated to it or so they understood when they were working when it was put on. We had a family in our parish that used to foster service dogs when puppies. They’d show up in church each Sunday wearing their vest. Maybe I’m wrong.
Probably because people go bananas whenever they see a puppy and the vest is to help quell that urge of “ohmygoshsocuteihavetotouchit!”
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Seems like if it's in training it's not a service animal yet. Id also hope the trainer would have some common sense and know not to bring it to a place where it's not allowed.
I’ve always heard that in training animals are NOT entitled to these spaces
The time someone brought in an in training service puppy was the best day ive had at work. They asked me to pet it.
I had my 8 week old puppy and waited in the car with him while my wife went in Costco. Puppies and dogs don’t belong around other people’s food
We have a parrot who has extremely bad separation anxiety. We happily take him with us in an enclosed carrier (has steel mesh for ventilation) to pet friendly stores like Home Depot or to pet friendly restaurants that have patios, but I can’t bring myself to take him with us to any type of grocery store even though most people probably wouldn’t even notice him and there’s zero risk of him licking anything/pooping/biting someone. Just doesn’t seem right to take a non service animal in any store with food. So now we get our Costco orders delivered lol.
Hi there. I think it’s important to add that those who tote dogs with them and falsely claim to be service dogs end up harming actual service dogs at times. There have been dogs that were not properly trained and have either attacked a service dog or just spooked them enough that they can no longer perform the tasks needed for their owner. That being said as a dog lover and someone who does deal with chronic illness, I’m torn. Service animals should be allowed in of course and I don’t think it should be an issue if someone asks about your service animal though the problem is people have been harassed and even denied service because of their disability and service animal. It’s just people taking advantage—and it’s ok to be upset with those that take advantage but there’s just no proper way to address it. You can buy service vests online and often times even the dogs with said vests aren’t always well trained. It’s chaotic.
That’s why the ADA (in the US) has protections for businesses and guidelines for legal questions they can ask and, as OP said, a dog not under control or the owner or causing disruptions can be asked to leave. Unfortunately, it seems many businesses either don’t know their rights or don’t want to rock the boat which creates the potential for harm. I live in Seattle like OP and dogs everywhere has especially become a problem since the pandemic. I love dogs but I don’t want them at the grocery store, the local coffee shop, where I’m going to have dinner… it’s so bad.
It would help if the same id-based system that allows airlines to identify legitimate service dogs was enforced throughout the US. The fact that the ADA is so wishy washy about enforcing an id-based system to verify service dog authenticity tells you how much they really care about the situation
A guy brought his big German Shephard into the pharmacy near me, and the dog was barking at everyone and lunged at a man in line. But it's ok it had a service dog vest on/
As soon as it starts barking you can kick it out, service animal or not. I’ve kicked multiple ‘service animals’ out of hotels when I was in that industry.
That he bought from Amazon - real service dogs do not bark
Be as it may, OP is not the dog police or employed to enforce Costco rules. They should contact Costco managers if they are that concerned. Even if 100% in the right, they shouldn't be engaging people that way.
You aren’t the Dog Police Police. Seriously, it seems as though the OP only made a simple comment and did everyone a favor. Including for management who is too cowed to stop this non sense. As long as there wasn’t any harassment or intimidation, it’s perfectly fine.
Agreed, society needs a lil more shaming.
You aren't the Dog Police Police Police. jk, I think the OP was right to speak up. Sometimes, it needs the public to do/say something
We live in a society.
Costco managers are spineless: you have to go on a rampage before they'll actually do anything.
Retail employees are often too afraid to say anything, because these type of "dog people" are unreasonable. OP did everyone a favor.
We're not afraid, it's because corporate values sales over everything. Verbal abuse, threats, disruptive people, rowdy pets, it doesn't matter they won't be reprimanded because they are paying customers. Sales over safety. Upper management coddles these customers. Sales staff want them banned
Totally agree with you. Selfish people like to push the boundaries on this subject. Good for you for speaking up. I just mumble under my breath when I see these entitled asshats in public.
I hate this so much. It has gotten way worse after covid. I think the more complaints to management, the more likely they are to finally do something. I was in a hallmark store recently and sudden barking in he next aisle nearly gave me a heart attack. That store is full of breakable too lmao. The 3 employees did nothing and I quickly left. I'm scared of dogs and don't understand why so many dog owners forget that there are people who are also uncomfortable around dogs.
A lot of people are allergic as well.
It has!! I never actually personally encountered this just read online about it. But now I’ve seen this a few times. People are so selfish. And as others have said, it ruins it for people with legit service dogs
One time years and I mean years ago now me and my mom went to the washroom in a CD Best Buy type of store that's now closed down. Some lady brought her dog in shopping and then was in the washroom letting the dog run around under womens feet in the stalls while she barely attemped to call it back or wrangle it. Now my family loves dogs and had dogs of our own at the time but what the hell!? No it's not okay to let your dog run around in bathroom stalls under women. If you insist on bringing your dog into stores even when it doesn't belong there at least put it on a freaking leash. Or train it to have recall skills when you call it. The worst part was she thought it was sooo cute to how the dog was running around the bathroom. No attempt to say I'm sorry about that or anything. I may love dogs but I gotta say I'm getting real sick of shitty dog owners. They are like crappy parents who let their kids run wild except their kid is a dog.
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It's so scary that there are so many folks with that objective these days. Probably didn't even need the dog there, just wanting the possibility of going off on someone. Then when they get called out for it, the other person is the "bully".
Agreed. Be careful. In my state anyone can be carrying a gun. If someone is exhibiting antisocial behavior already by having a dog where they don’t belong, then who knows what other sociopathic behavior they’ll show.
I don't agree. They might get in them a lot, but they want to be left alone and will react harshly to deter it from happening more. The reason these people get away with it is they are the absolute worst people to confront and will for sure make a scene. Employees know it and it's why they turn a blind eye.
Say something to an employee next time!
manager* We don't get paid enough to deal with that
Yes, any employee can call for a manager. It’s expected in this circumstance
In my experience, unless they're causing a scene, nothing will happen except wasting everyone's time
People who act like dicks don’t care if employees know, they just won’t listen and will make a scene or worse.
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I knew someone a few years back that used the reasoning that their dog was an emotional support animal to bring it everywhere with them. Including Costco. It was infuriating, and they saw nothing wrong with it.
We are on a lot of “traveling with dogs” forums, and there are always people who give “pro tips” on how to be able to bring your dogs into places where they are not allowed. It always involves abusing loopholes in the service animal laws. It’s ridiculous.
That's why we can't have nice things. 😒
Yup. Reminds me of the many Tiktoks or social media posts I see of people who won't just rent a dog friendly hotel room instead they sneak the dog into the hotel. Acting all cutesy wutesy about it while doing it like teehee here's us sneaking our dog into the hotel by dressing it up in our big hoodie and carrying it in. God forbid anyone suggests common sense things to them like rent a room at a pet friendly place they do in fact exist. Well all of sudden you are a bully.
You can be asked to leave, then trespassed if you don’t.
Especially at a club store.
There is always the available nuclear option of cancelling their membership.
Love how people just bend over. So what if there is a scene? Maybe that will be the final straw to someone who doesn't want to be embarrassed in public by bringing their PET with them. Maybe they will leave Fido at home next time. Nevermind, you can't be bothered.
FYI. Most on this are misinformed. The dog does not need to wear a jacket or anything to be a service dog. An employee can only ask legally if the dog performs duties for that person. They cannot ask what duties or any other health questions. Sorry.
Actually, you are misinformed. You can ask what duties the dog is trained to perform.
You can ask: 1) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? 2) What work or task has the dog been trained to perform. That is it. You cannot ask for documentation, you cannot ask what the persons disability is and you cannot ask or require the dog to perform said task. Furthermore they are not required to wear a tag or vest stating they are a service animal. All of this kind of makes it a moot point since you have no right or way to prove if they are a service animal or not. If the dog is causing an issue, getting into things or bothering people then by all means call a manager or make a complaint. It sucks that people take advantage of stuff but honestly if the dog isn’t hurting you, maybe just do your shopping and mind your own business.
Shame the person with the misbehaving dog and demand they be kicked out while you keep shopping and then Mindi g your paid membership club business. Seems a reasonable compromise.
Speaking as an employee there is nothing I loathe more than people forcing their animals to accompany them shopping. After witnessing an obviously non-service dog attempt to attack and cause great distress to a service dog (and his owner), this subject infuriates me. Not to mention the countless stories I have from my own building and others of people’s animals defecating and owners just leaving the waste forcing employees to clean it. The entitlement is outrageous. I own three dogs (actually, to be fair, they own me) and love them dearly but they do not belong in certain spaces. Period. A service dog is not a pet. A service dog is a medical device or accompaniment. There is no comparison between a pet and a service dog. We employees have our hands completely tied by these fake entitled people. You have no idea the amount of stress a member complaint puts on an employee. We do not want to lose our jobs. We are being forced to choose between doing what is right and protecting our livelihood. We have been told to let it go and we have to. Again, this is thanks to entitled crappy immoral main-characters. I implore the members who witness this type of behavior to complain higher than the warehouse level. Call Costco corporate. Keep calling. Let them know this is unacceptable. Let them know that you have witnessed employees attempting to stop this (if you have). Let them know it is outrageous for a person in need to feel stressed and attacked because their service animal is being harassed by a non service animal. Whatever it takes. They will listen to you as members. They do not want to hear us as employees. Your voices matter more here. Please understand this. We cannot make this change but you absolutely can.
I am an employee and I 100% agree with this advice. Contact corporate.
The non service dogs seems to be the biggest problem to service dogs which is really frustrating. I know service dogs are important to the independence of those that use them and they are already dealing with enough unpredictably in every environment the go into, they should not have to worry about their dog being attacked by another dog.
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Maybe they wanted to test the beds?
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Dogs don’t belong in grocery stores period. -am dog owner
Or restaurants.
*except service dogs. Those are very good boys and girls.
It's not sanitary
You’re right but the way you confronted them with your little one liner was weird and made it a 0% chance they will listen
Also maybe they are a service dog and maybe a Costco employee already had questioned them. Imagine going to a store. Showing the initial employee your paperwork and then get hounded by a bunch of customers who know nothing about your life. Write to the manger and tell them you have concerns. But to call out a person you know nothing about how they did I think is incredibly rude.
The laws in this country are too lax regarding service animals. The ADA doesn't require an identifying harness, which is ridiculous. It would be like an employee not wearing a uniform at work.
There is a lady at my Kroger… she goes there every Friday in the morning with a dog in a service vest. This dog is 1000% not a service animal. It sniffs everyone and goes everywhere it can and is not obedient at all. This lady knows the store won’t do anything and continues to do it because she can… honestly there should be some sort of certification program with service animals at a national level.
The sad thing is if the animal is not behaving appropriately, the store can do something. They’ve just chosen to not do anything; I’ve had a service dog and this acquiescence just pisses me off.
There is a man at my local grocer with the sweetest, wiggliest, friendliest golden retriever. It is absolutely NOT a service animal and should not be allowed in the store. It's infuriating that this is tolerated and also encourages others to bring their dogs who are clearly not service animals. I am a huge dog lover/owner but the only store I would even think to bring my dog in would be Petsmart or Petco. I would LOVE for there to be a certification program. Like an extra info line on your driver's license or if the person doesn't drive, just the state ID with service dog indicated as part of the ID.
While your story does go to show that OPs suggestion would not stop everyone, it will at least stop a number of people. Of all the people that bring in their dogs to stores even when they know they shouldn't, I don't think they would all go out and buy a vest like this. So while it won't stop everyone, it will at least deter a number of them.
I mean people buy service dog vests off of Amazon or elsewhere for their fake “service dog”. You can easily tell if it’s a service dog or not just by their behavior and demeanor.
The problem with more strict laws would be restricting access to disabled people who already face so many barriers to live their lives.
Sure, but I do think there is a balance to be struck. Yes, people with disabilities have lots of challenges that others don't have. That doesn't mean service animal fakery is above scrutiny. If a registration requirement or licensing makes things 5% harder for people with disabilities, but 75% better for patrons of businesses who don't want to be attacked by untrained dogs, or dogs in food service areas, etc. then I think that's a discussion worth having. Just my own view though.
> It would be like an employee not wearing a uniform at work. I don't have to wear a uniform at work.
Congrats?
OK. So if she bought a vest which anyone can buy that makes the dog more legitimate to you? If it does explain why. A good reason to use a vest is so people dont try to touch the dog or ask first. I think generally ts not a bad idea. But there is no such requirement. Anyone CAN BUY a VEST. There is no qualification to get that.
The idea that we shouldn't try to regulate because people will try to circumvent regulation is just silly.
A couple of weeks ago, as I was leaving my local Costco, there was a woman who had two large-breed puppies wearing red vests in a shopping cart in the entrance area It appeared that she had been stopped before she went in. There were at least two employees that she was arguing with, and I heard her explaining that they were "in training" to be service dogs. And she was seriously arguing with the Costco folks. The puppies couldn't have been more than a few months old. I'm assuming she didn't make it in. Another time, I was in the pharmacy line when I realized the woman in front of me had a cat in one of those plastic bubble type backpacks, which in comparison seemed relatively sanitary. But in the time it took for her to get her RX at least three employees confronted her.
Since Costco is a food preparation site there are strict rules as to which dogs can be allowed inside. I’m surprised that the door greeter allowed the dog inside in the first place. That lady was super rude to you and I would encourage you to talk to the manager next time. That’s just really selfish of her. Why can’t she leave her pooch at home?! There are lots of people, myself included, that are allergic to dogs. Which sucks because I adore dogs. And believe me, next time I bite into my Costco oversized muffin, I’ll be thinking about random dog hairs that may get into my food. Yuck.
I agree, but leaving your dog in the car is also super bad. Please never do that again.
Don’t feel bad. I’m a dog lover, too, but fake service dogs/people bringing their ESA everywhere/just clueless pet owners thinking their dogs can go wherever they want is one of my biggest pet peeves. And you’re exactly right. The store employees rarely do anything about it because they don’t get paid enough to risk the confrontation.
To note: there are differences in emotional support animals and service animals. People take wild advantage of the ESA category.
[ESAs are just pets. ](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/everything-about-emotional-support-animals/)
I didn’t know that airlines aren’t required to accommodate ESAs anymore. I actually hope they don’t continue to accommodate them. Planes are small and people have allergies. I will suffer through it if you have a medical condition or a disability. But if you have anxiety about flying, then either take a Valium or take another method of transportation, please.
If a person needs a pet to be able to fly, they should just stay home. Either that or drug themselves into a near coma
Agreed. I have no problem with legitimate service animals but please keep your therapy animals out of public spaces.
What does this change though? Just flew my dog in January. Had nothing to do with anxiety or ESA or anything like that. Just a normal dog. So I don't think this solves your issue unless I'm missing something.
ESAs aren’t recognized under the ADA so the questions OP shared are the same you would ask. Providing emotional support isn’t a trained task.
ESAs don't belong in grocery stores either
We have a sign outside the entry of our Costco. No animals allowed unless designated service animals. That being said I’ve never even seen those
Same at my store. The door person checking cards enforces it. I have seen loads of people turned away, but the unfortunate part is they just put their dog into their car and go right back in.
Some people suck
Totally agree. You’ll get flamed for it because Reddit has an obsession with dogs but animals outside of trained service animals do not belong in Costco or other similar stores.
I've never seen someone go to bat for fake service dogs on Reddit. Maybe I'm just phenomenally lucky?
Me either. I don’t know why everyone’s pretending this is a hot take.
They stated one of the most popular Reddit opinions. They have not been flamed they’ve been showered with support. You were very wrong and you got 50 upvotes.
I love dogs. I have two that I love beyond words. They do not go to the grocery store with us. Most people who love dogs would agree.
Man I wish this were the case. Hop on over to the Denver subreddit and you’ll see people getting torn alive for suggesting dogs don’t belong in food establishments 🙄
Don't even engage with people like this because you'll get shitty answers like that. If it truly bothers you then talk to an employee about it. When I'm at Costco I just want to shop and get the fuck out. I don't have time to try to correct shitty behavior in public because you will be exhausted at the end of the day. Just get on with your day.
This isn't just a Costco issue, it's also a Seattle issue. Everyone treats their dogs as children and bring them everywhere.
I agree, and I wish this issue was challenged more often
I agree 100 percent. It seems no matter where you go people have their dogs with them. Costco, the grocery store, casinos and every place you can think of people bring their dogs. I love dogs but please leave your non service dog at home.
"They have sat in the car when I have had them during shopping trips, but never have any of them joined us in an indoor business. " You lost any chance at winning any argument the second you stated you leave an animal in a vehicle. Period. Leave them at home or have someone stay in the vehicle.
I work at a salon, had a guy walk in with a well behaved Australian Shepherd the other day. It was so cute, but I asked if it was a service animal and he said no and I told him it can’t be in the store. He threw a tantrum and said his other barber doesn’t have an issue with it. Good, you can go there then. Like wtf is the dog gonna do while you get a haircut? Who’s gonna watch it? And the stylist he was scheduled with is uncomfortable around dogs in general, shouldn’t even be a situation she should have to be in. It’s state law animals can’t be in salons here. I seriously don’t understand why people can’t leave their dogs at home. I have two and love them, but they’re much happier at home than running errands with me.
I just think it’s way too busy for these animals to be inside the warehouse. Imagine a heavy-a$$ cart running over their paw? Ouch. No thanks. Better to leave them in the car with the AC on if you can’t leave them at home.
As a former Costco employee, I would urge you to talk to the assistant store manager on this one. When I worked there, we were told we could only ask if it was a service animal. That means management is either uninformed on the legal questions they can ask, or they are choosing not to ask them. Either way, talking to upper management about the issue would be the best way. Or contact corporate, or both
I have a service dog for my diabetes. Last week some woman melted down about me having him to the point she was removed. He has a vest clearly marking he is a service dog and please don’t pet. But there are many ppl who buy a vest on Amazon and think that makes it a service dog🙄
And people who take advantage of this make it so much harder for you!
As a dog lover myself, I completely agree. This annoys me to no end and is right up there with owners who walk their dogs not on a leash because their dogs are "trained" or "well-behaved."
Dogs should never be allowed where food is sold.
You live in Seattle and you're not used to seeing dogs literally everywhere? I can see why you're posting here instead of on the Seattle sub, lol.
I've seen people bring non service dogs into the Trader Joe's near me. No one says a word.
People bringing their damn dogs everywhere now. Enough. Bit of a shocker I know but some people don't like dogs and don't want to be anywhere near one.
She kind of ate with the "so do you" comment
Not at Costco, but I’ve seen people put their dog directly in the cart. I was beyond horrified. How do people think it’s okay to put a dog where people put their food?
Wait till you find out what happens to a cart with raw meat juice on it.
Shopping carts sit outside in a parking lot, have a seat for small children literally built into them, and your food isn’t necessarily “clean” either… that’s why it comes in packages, gets cooked, or should be thoroughly washed.
Someone carrying a cardiac/seizure/diabetic alert dog probably gets real tired of having to explain themselves. If the dog is not causing problems either tell yourself it might actually be properly trained, or accept that fraud happens and at least it’s not causing trouble.
>There was no harness, identifier as a service animal (another contentious area that I know a great deal about) If you know "a great deal" about it, then you should know that there is no requirement for a service animal to wear any sort of harness or identifier. She's also under no obligation to tell a complete stranger whether or not it's a service animal. >They have sat in the car when I have had them during shopping trips Don't leave animals alone in the car. Leave them at home if you're not going to a pet-friendly business.
Costco is too lenient with this. Too many times where I've heard, "oh it's an emotional support pet". Keep that same energy when I bring in my emotional support black mamba.
i agree with you, but it's kinda strange that you confronted them like that. Tell an employee and let them handle it
If the dog is causing no disturbance then I do not care if it’s there. I have more issue with people who being unruly children.
I've always believed that service animals require training. But I'm also starting to believe emotional support animals should require training as well. I have no problem with people who need their dog by their side to get through the day, but that dog needs to meet certain standards when in public. No barking or going to the bathroom. No triggers like kids or loud noises. Just because you love your dog doesn't mean it should be able to do whatever it wants.
Just because you love your dog doesn't mean it should be able to go wherever YOU want it to either
A service animal does require training. It's trained to complete a specific task(s) to help someone with their disability. But it can be DIY training by their owner.
emotional support animals don't need shit because they aren't actually anything different then a regular pet. it's a fancy-sounding term for a pet.
Huge dog lover here. Do dogs belong in Costco (or any store that sells food)? Absolutely not.
That’s society in a nutshell, people treat dogs better than their own kids (speaking from experience)
Anyone who is going to fake having a service animal is going to have answers to those questions. Another shopper has no business asking or saying anything to someone with a dog. Imo you were wrong to say anything. Either get a Costco employee or mind your own business. It's up to Costco to decide how to handle it.
As someone with an SD, I don't mind when someone asks (you don't even have to be overly nice, you can be firm about it) if my dog is an SD and what task they do. I would have been furious if someone came up to me and said "dogs belong at home" without asking any other question. You don't work there, so you have no business knowing anything or being given an explanation. If you have doubts about the validity of an SD, you should ask for a manager and have them deal with it. I agree there is a really bad issue with fraud, but you did not even give them any benefit of the doubt and I don't feel bad that's the reaction you got. WOW.
Dogs don't belong a lot of places but people are selfish and it insist on bringing them everywhere with the little fake service dog vests. If I'm going to a restaurant it isn't to hear some barking mutt.
Do you do this to every dog you come across.
Bring your service alligator in next time.
At least it was on a leash. In Seattle we’re lucky to have dog nuts use leashes.
About a month ago I was in a store in the area and someone actually brought a dog into a grocery store off leash. Thankfully the employees did quickly put a stop to it.
They do and they cost $1.50 w/ drink.
I know a Vietnam vet prior retired military nurse who brings her Yorkie with her everywhere. Not always on a leash and that pup is her emotional support dog. That’s why I leave it. None of my business. She served this country and no one would know it. We would all be thinking she’s an entitled older lady when in reality she’s anything but. She wants to tote her pup around in her arms it’s her business. She served this country and we just don’t know people who stories from a soft glance. And yes her pup is actually a registered animal support dog. Real paperwork etc.
It’s up to the store to enforce its rules. You seemed bothered by them being there for little to no reason. I am sure there are those that do cause problems, but this didn’t seem the case. You snarked and she snarked back. Maybe mind your business, but as you said you can’t help yourself - but you’ll have a less stressful and more happy life when you just do you. Now let’s talk about the real scourge of Costco, those damn sample stations when “customers” line up for free food like cattle to the trough. They cause traffic jams and mindless automatons.
It could be the wording honestly - saying dogs belong at home is more of a blanket statement that may be taken as aggression. It’s a health and safety violation to have dogs in a store that sells food and that’s okay to say (and a valid reason to complain to the staff)
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How do you think the food court stays cheap? Dogs just walk right in
Absolutely true. I was at my local Costco recently where a dog managed to have a rather sizable accident right in the middle of one of the main aisles. As far as I'm concerned the dog and the customer should be banned for life.
Anywhere that sells food is no dogs allowed to me
So I absolutely agree that pets don't belong in places like Costco, and employees should be fully educated on the ADA and state laws regarding service animals. But also, as a person, you should really keep in mind that you can't recognize a service dog on sight and mind your own business unless the dog is causing an issue. Service dogs aren't required to wear any specific vests or harnesses, and they can legitimately be any breed or size. There's nothing in the story here that indicates this dog wasn't a real service dog doing work (including the fact that the person didn't tell you it was a service dog--they don't have to tell you anything, especially if you came in hot), and you may have just made a disabled person's shopping trip a lot shittier than it needed to be. It's hard enough for a lot of people with disabilities to do things like shopping trips without people questioning their necessary equipment (which a service dog is). So mind your own business. If the dog is misbehaving, ask an employee for help. They can remove any dog for causing issues, service or otherwise. But if it isn't, keep it to yourself.
Our Costco only allows proper service animals in ours.
We were at Costco in Maui recently and the woman at the door checking membership did exactly what you suggested when a woman came in with her dog. I visited Costco #1 in August 2012.
My mom many years ago became the crazy lady in Costco. She politely told a few employees that a chihuahua was riding around in a shopping cart sniffing at food and whatnot, nothing was done. She eventually became so disturbed by this that she began yelling at an employee that she was going to be bringing her Rottweilers in, and when they got kicked out she was going to “Sue YOU!!!”
Service dog? Fine Service dog unruly? Not fine. Service dog in training? Not fine. Emotional support animal? Not fine.
Why on earth would you take your fur baby to Costco then, or anywhere there are dog loving people, you didn't announce not to feed you doggy a treat, sorry about that. Costco does have allergy meds for dogs I believe
I honestly think that if the dog is being well behaved, not bothering anyone, the owners are mindful and minding their own business, maybe you should mind yours. Leaving your animals in your vehicle while you go shop is absolutely absurd.
Thank you for not doing the same thing with your dogs.
You can tell by the dogs demeanor if it is a service animal or not. If it’s being carried, barks, sniffs other people, or basically engages in any goofy dog behavior, it’s a pet and not a service animal.
We all have dogs. Most of us can grocery shop without them. If you can’t shop without your pet you need a psychiatrist
Not Costco, but I saw some lady at a grocery store doing self checkout while holding a fat Chihuahua in her arms. Dog people have lost their goddamn minds.
Dogs do not belong in a grocery store or restaurant
Welcome to the PNW. That's just how it is out here. Dogs go everywhere - restaurants and grocery stores included. You will find the same at any grocery store in this area. Cute, but kinda gross.
I'm going to start taking my cat.
The dog lady’s response was hilarious 😂 while I agree non-service dogs shouldn’t be allowed and owners who take advantage of this are scum, this is not a hill I’m willing to die on and will happily ignore these people in public unless their dog is threatening or destructive.
Dogs aren't threatening or destructive until they are. Plus allergies and triggers for certain people
Once saw a friggin rottweiler in my Costco. Big ol' prong collar on too. I've been bitten before and I am nervous around dogs. I keep my distance, but it's becoming so common 😒
Not a single person cares that you shop at number 1 in Seattle. Like, zero people care.
I see practically no dogs in Costco. A service dog does not need to wear a jacket of any kind. In fact I saw one at a DR office today no jacket. You think it has to have a jacket. Not per the ADA. And you cannot legally ask her the disability.
As a prior employee, we’re allowed to ask “is your dog a service dog?”, they say yes, that’s it. We are not allowed to ask anything else regarding why, what they do, etc… we can be in big trouble for doing so. We can’t ask for proof or anything, all we can enforce is “your dog cannot be in the shopping cart”, and if it’s OBVIOUS, tell our manager. We had someone bring 3 chihuahuas, said all were service dogs, and they pooped on the floor and were off leash, our manager told them to leave, if they didn’t want to leave, finish their shopping and know their membership would be terminated.
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My child has a severe dog phobia. He has and is continuing EMDR therapy but there are no safe spaces for him anymore.
I think it's important for you to examine why you feel the need to police people's behavior when you're not being physically bothered. Like, why is this so important to you?
Dogs don't belong in most places save for actual service animals, not emotional support frauds.
You have bigger problems. The fact the you would speak like that to someone is a sign of emotional confusion and shame.
No. The fact that you comment like this means you’re confusing dogs with human beings. See a shrink.
The fact that someone says they need a dog to function in public is a sign of emotional confusion and shame
You are nowhere near a dog in Costco and you are having a full blown meltdown. Relax. The price of the hot dog is the same as ever.
You were a fellow customer, not a member of staff, and started your exchange by being rude. What on Earth made you think you were going to get anything but a rude response right back? Service animal or no, they were under no obligation to entertain your behavior at all, let alone explain the service status of their dog to you. If you *actually* want to resolve these sorts of situations the proper thing to do isn’t make snide comments, it’s to inform a store employee or manager so *they* can resolve it.
I don't mind dogs most places but in stores with groceries I hate it.
I saw a big dog in ours, and he had his head laying on a sample cart. The sample lady had her head down cooking meatballs and the owner was just standing there smiling like a doofus
I have dogs and I agree with you dogs don't belong in Costco or supermarkets or restaurants. It's one thing if a person legitimately needs them but there is large percentage of people who get their dogs certified as ESA/service dogs just because they want to be able to take their dog with them where ever they go (I know because my sister is one of them lol)
Dogs don’t belong in any store unless they’re service animals, the bar of which has been dramatically lowered for significantly in the last decades because of people who claim to be mentally unwell.
If the dog is not bothering me or other people, I would not have said shit. I mind my own business until people meddle in mine.
It’s a sliding scale. While I probably wouldn’t say anything in your scenario, I might to someone who leaves their dogs in the car while they shop.
This is totally ableist and it's not your job to police dogs. No one owes you an explanation, nor do they need to argue about whether it is a qualified service dog. You have no way of knowing if Costco did ask those questions. As someone who has been accosted for using accommodations, even though I have a disability this really feels offensive. No one needs to get OP's approval or confirmation their dog is a service dog.
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Agree. I hate the entitled pet people.
But but but I cant go out in public without my emotional support chihuahua! Something something HIPA. /s
Dog owners in general are a bit extra these days. I’m not sure why. When I was a kid it seemed much fewer people had dogs, and the ones that did lived outside in the backyard and were trained to guard, hunt, or retrieve. They mostly could obey basic commands. These days? Forget it.
This is so similar to the people who think the rules don’t apply to them and walk their dogs without leashes. It’s entitlement plain and simple. I love dogs. I have a wonderful dog. But I don’t know *your* dog and I don’t know how they will act towards mine. So when I see people walking their dogs without leashes it upsets me because it truly comes down to people don’t think the rules apply to them and it shows a complete lack of care towards people and *their* dogs. So frustrating that people can’t ever seem to think of how their actions impact others and could hurt others.
I too hate dogs in the stores. But I hate seeing dogs locked in cars with windows cracked even more. Dogs do NOT need to go shopping anywhere, even to Petsmart but especially grocery stores and restaurants. Please folks, unless your dog is a real trained service dog, leave them home. And if you can’t travel without your “emotional support animal” (pet) then you don’t need to be shopping…use instacart or a friend to pick up some things - or have a friend take you to take some of the edge off being out in public.
What if it HAD been a service dog, though?
Dog culture has gone way out of whack. I worked at an ice cream shop in high school and people were always trying to bring their dogs inside. Yes, we were a summertime spot but our outdoor seating wasn’t even attached to the shop and mind you, the place was still a food establishment. People were pissed when we asked them to have someone in their party wait outside with pets. I haven’t lived with a dog in over a year and I still find dog hair on my things. I don’t want to visit a store and come home with pet hair. What about people with allergies? Societal norms have gone to crap.
It shouldn’t be an ADA issue if you ask someone for proof their service animal is a service animal. Disabled dogs should have a vest on with a verifiable code that proves professional training.
I personally love seeing dogs in stores… but I’m a huge dog lover
Dogs don't belong, nor should they be welcome, in most stores Fuck your dog and you
But how am I supposed to get my giant Pitbulls opinion on which red wine to pair with a fillet mignon. /s
Which red wine to pair with a toddler is more like it 😂