Austin Going to the Dogs (Wichita Falls, Mart: 2015, HOA, lawyer)

[NoBull]

I've seen a lot of shoppers lately taking their dogs into the stores with them lately. A lot. In the past 2 days alone, I've seen 4 instances of this. One at Hobby Lobby (dog riding in cart), Ross (walked on a leash), TJ Maxx (held in arms in something that resembled a Baby Bjorn) and 2 dogs with different owners (one in cart, the other on leash) at Lowes. I noticed the last 2 dogs because I heard then barking at each other. Now I love dogs but I just find it kind of odd. Don't know if its the new hip trend or everyone's suddenly developing anxiety (on account of the mass influx of people and traffic moving into the area of course ) and need the assistance of their trusty service dog. Is this part of keeping Austin weird or if this is going on elsewhere. Anybody else notice this?

[JT-3]

Yep. Good for business.

[luksky]

In the 10 years I've been here, it's always been like that. People with dogs in places that most likely, technically, don't even allow dogs. I've even seen them in grocery stores.

I think there are enough dog lovers in Austin, that nobody complains.

[Trainwreck20]

Been kinda like that for 40 years, more or less.

[RunninJT]

It has always been like this in Austin, we are pretty dog friendly here for the most part. I was getting groceries at the Rundberg/Lamar HEB and there was a kid in the toddler chair of a basket, he had a small parrot walking around the basket hand grip and squawking away. Its worth putting up with a bit of bird poop for the amusement factor, same with dogs.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I bet a if dog in a store like HEB or Walmart or Home Depot that's not a service dog was to bite a customer, the store would be held just as responsible as the owner of the dog would, maybe even more so for allowing the dog to be in the store in the 1st place

[Trainwreck20]

I think strictly 'pet' dogs are prohibited from grocery stores (service dogs, etc. are allowed, ofc). And although I am sure that people would try to sue at HD or Walmart, they would be very unlikely to win anything. The owner is responsible for the dog. If you were bit by a dog being walked outside, would you sue the city or HOA for allowing people to walk dogs?

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

If a store employee sees the dog inside the store and doesn't say anything to the dog owner about it, and that dog bites a customer while he's in the store, it seems to me the store could be held accountable. By the employee not saying anything to the dog owner about his dog being in the store, he is giving the ok for the dog to be in there. The store has a responsibility to keep the customer safe from harm inside the store. At least that's the way I see it.

[Trainwreck20]

HD and Lowes and quite a few others have national dogs-welcome policies, so whether the employee says anything or not, the dogs are welcome there.

Just checked, and the surprising ones are Nordstrums and Macys.

[je4xff]

A store employee once told me they're only legally allowed to ask whether a dog is a service dog or not. I think its an ADA thing.

It does look like PetsMart has been sued before.

"In July of 2015, a Texas court awarded $495,000 to a family whose 4-year-old daughter was attacked by a Rottweiler in 2013 inside a Petsmart on Lawrence Road in Wichita Falls, Texas."

Bitten by a Dog or Attacked at PetSmart - Lawyer for Lawsuit

My wife brings our little dog to stores all the time. She quietly sits in a cart, doesn't bother anyone and most people don't even notice her. But why anyone would think its a good idea to bring a powerful attack dog breed to a public place is beyond me.