[nagdu] Walmart

Mon Jan 5 14:05:25 UTC 2015

I go to Walmart fairly often, and have only had one bad experience with my guide dog (knock on wood). I was checking out and the cashier was a teenager or in his early 20's. He wasn't paying a bit of attention to us, but was talking to some friends nearby. I kept telling the guy that I had a bag of dog food in the cart, but he was too busy talking. After about 4 or 5 times, he finally heard me, and noticed Pascal. He freaked out and said, "No, I don't do dogs!" and he walked away from us, mid-transaction. He did not come back, nor did he get someone else to come ring us up.  
We went to the customer service desk, and told them what had happened, and they were sticking up for the cashier, saying that he had the right to walk away since he was scared of the dog. I never got anywhere by calling and talking to Walmart Headquarters. 
That was the worst experience at Walmart. I can understand someone having a fear of dogs, but he was rude and unprofessional. 
I once was followed (though I didn't know it) by a manager at Meijer. He followed us to the back of the store and asked me if my dog was a service animal. I told him yes, and then he said that he just wanted to make sure, since people had been bringing in pets a lot recently. 
Deanna and Pascal

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J. via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2015 7:54 AM
To: Laura T; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Walmart

I think there are two separate issues going on here.  You as an employee and people shopping as the public.

The law is a bit different for each situation.  Six months is a long time for them to hold out on you having your guide dog at work.  Was there some issue to be sorted out?  Do you work in the deli or something where it would be a concern?

I agree that people should not be taking random dogs and cats into the store.  However, Wal-Mart doesn't exactly have a great reputation concerning service dogs.  I don't want to be followed through the whole store or asked repeatedly if my guide is a service dog.  I don't think the other extreme of leaving it a free for all is good either.

Julie
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-----Original Message-----
From: Laura T via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2015 6:32 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Walmart

I would like to vent my frustrations about a policy that needs changing I am a guide dog user and I have worked with my employer Walmart for 6 months to get permission to bring my dog to work with me Which I have gotten just getting the final arrangments in place But Walmart's service dog policy for the general public shopping in the store hurts those of us that have legitimate service animals the policy states that only a salaried member of management can make an inquiry into the nature of why an animal is in the store Unless thew door greater makes the call to question upon entering the store.Now let me go on to say that in my store they have reassigned the door greeters to other tasks and management has little time to police this issueI have seen kittens wrapped in blankets in the store and 8 week old puppies being brought in just to be shown off my feeling is that if anyone can walk through any door of Walmart at any time with any animal this is hurting those of us who really need service animals animals that are untrained one of these days are going to bite someone or worse yet harm a "real" service animal the sad part is that these people don't even have to pretend that the animal is a service animal. I have tried to speak with store management and have been told that it is a corporate policy been shown the policy and told that they will not change it because Walmart was sued in the past for harassing a person with a service dog and lost if anyone else here works for Walmart I would like to know if your experience is different  But I would also like the groups opinion if I am taking this too personally because I am a guide dog user and a Walmart employee thanks _______________________________________________
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