Safeway tries to enforce service animal rule

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/16/12 | C.W. Nevius

[SmithL]

There are Labradoodles in the produce aisle. There's a little Australian terrier sniffing the potato chips. Yes, there are dogs in the supermarket, particularly in San Francisco.

And God help us, one of these days there may be a miniature pony in the checkout line. Seriously.

And it's all perfectly legal. Or imperfectly legal, depending on whom you ask.

Technically, these are service animals. But the technicality is starting to drive customers, supermarket owners and animal control officials around the bend.

"This service animal thing is getting a little out of control," said Vicky Guldbech, captain of San Francisco's Department of Animal Care and Control. "Even my staff is saying, 'Wait a minute, that's a service animal?' "

Let's face it, everything from an iguana to a chicken has been called a service animal in the city.

But enough is enough, and some Safeway stores started posting notices saying that dog owners who fraudulently claim their dog is a service animal are subject to California Penal Code 365.7, which could result in "imprisonment in the county jail" and/or a fine that could run to $1,000.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, when a supermarket operator finds a dog in his store he can only ask two questions:

"Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?"

So, says Susan Houghton, director of public affairs for Safeway in Northern California, if the owner says the dog is required and it is needed for "physical, sensory, psychological or mental" assistance, the dog stays.

"You can't say, 'Prove it,' " Houghton says. "If the customer learns to answer the questions in the right way there is nothing we can do."

[tet68]

Gross! Dog slobber

Did you know that there are bacteria in dog saliva
that prevent them from getting cavities...
So just remember to gargle with dog saliva
every night, your dentist will thank you.
Disclaimer: Some side effects include but are
not limited to, burying bones in yard, sniffing
butts, and wanting to roll in dead animals.

But think of those purdy teeth.

[windcliff]

LOL

[libstripper]

We’re obviously both suffering the same problem: psychotic denial of a serious, possibly terminal, canophilia problem. The denial obviously makes the condition incurable.

[Stormdog]

We’re doomed!!!!