Publix – a supermarket as much a part of Florida culture as Disney World, sunshine and snowbirds – takes a stand on dogs.
As in, unless they’re service animals, no pet dogs roaming the produce aisle, no puppies riding in grocery carts, no dogs stuffed into shopping bags. races.
From Asheville to Boca Raton, large green Publix signs are appearing in store lobbies. The signs inform customers that while legitimate service animals are welcome inside, emotional support animals and pets are definitely not.
The signs state that under federal law, service animals are “dogs or miniature horses trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities,” and the Food and Drug Administration does not allow non-service animals.
This means that even with a doctor’s note, “dogs, pets, and other animals whose sole function is to provide comfort, companionship, or emotional support are not considered service animals.” , according to the sign. Additionally, trying to pass off a pet as a service animal is against the law in Florida and other states.
It’s unclear what prompted this very public recall of a long-standing Publix policy. in its 1,348 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. A Publix spokesperson who responded to questions from the Tampa Bay Times did not respond to a specific question about whether there had been complaints, a specific incident or another cause.
“We have new signage in all stores, not just certain areas,” spokeswoman Hannah Herring wrote in an email response to the Times, “but our policy remains the same.”
People asked by the Times via social media what they thought generally said: Good. They said not everyone is comfortable with meeting a dog while shopping, with the proximity animals and food, or with using grocery carts that previously contained a dog.
“I love animals and own several, but the grocery store is not the place where everyone can drag Fido,” Kimberly Evans Skinner Connell posted on Facebook. “Use common sense people.”
“Finally…a company that will stand up and make rules and not be afraid of someone’s feelings being hurt!” » wrote Dean Rodenroth.
Mary Hedrick wrote on the poster: “The overuse of the term ‘service dog’ diminishes the importance of these gifted animals to people who truly need them.”
But, Kirch Linsie asked on Facebook, “will they enforce it? »
Publix, billed as the nation’s largest employee-owned grocery chain, has courted a loyal fan base by emphasizing customer service. Under the slogan that shopping there is “a pleasure,” employees greet customers, ask them if they found everything they wanted and carry their groceries into the cars, refusing tips.
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The Publix spokesperson did not respond to a question from The Times about whether its hometown atmosphere might have made some customers feel that the rules were lax and that dogs would be welcome.
Kathy Saunders, who serves on the board of directors of Southeastern Guide Dogs, the placards applauded. The organization, which prepares puppies to become service dogs for the disabled and veterans, sometimes takes the training dogs to public places, including grocery stores.
Although service dogs are trained not to react to other dogs — nor to interact with people, bark or sniff food — other dogs often are not, she said.
Saunders, who lives in St. Petersburg, stopped taking puppies to a local Publix after seeing an untrained dog dressed in a service dog vest jumping on a counter.
Publix managers “have a lot on their plate, and that’s a lot to ask them to argue with a fake service dog owner,” she said. The new signs, she said, “will hopefully hold managers accountable.”
On social media, some dissenters also said they didn’t mind seeing well-behaved dogs at Publix.
The signs also ask customers not to put service animals in shopping carts or baskets “due to health and sanitation concerns.”
The signs apply to all animals. Social media posters claiming to be Publix employees said they saw one customer in a store with a python around his arm, another with a pet squirrel.
Publix has long been a topic of conversation on the Internet. A recent article had a strong flair for Florida Man.
Captioned “Florida memes,” the photo making the rounds shows a bearded man wearing nothing but a thong and sandals as he appears to wait in a pub queue at a counter Publix deli – a dog on a leash lying at his feet.