For the most part, establishments here will not allow them unless they are service animals. (I know that Wal-Mart and the POs here all have signs up about it.) I have seen people in the garden center of Lowes and Home Depot with dogs...even big dogs. I did hear a mgr ask someone to leave once, but have seen dogs back there again since then.)
There are some places that will let you have them on leashes and eat outside. (Moe's, Starbucks) At the 'open' malls.
Other than that, they are pretty much not allowed, which I actually completely agree with. I love my dogs, more than some family members, but fact is, they are dogs, not humans. I am of the opinion that if they are not allowed somewhere, suck it up, deal with it and don't take them and don't try to sneak them in. (And especially don't try to pass them off as service animals if they really aren't.) I think that in these situations, 'a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch'. Yes, maybe OUR Yorkies are cute and well behaved and UTD and clean, and potty trained but that's not the case for everydog out there and there's no way to draw a line there.
From the establishement's standpoint, I can completely understand why they would prohibit it. The number of people who would want to take their dogs out to eat, or to Wal-Mart, per say, is likely very low in comparison to those who don't. For liability reasons alone, I can understand them being prohibited. |