# Josie's Wal-Mart Experience (Warning: Quite lengthy!)



## amykate (Jul 6, 2005)

So this weekend, I had to run into Wal-Mart really quick to pick up a sugar-free dessert for my household shower since we kinda forgot that a few diabetics would be there. I had Josie with me because she was going to spend the day with her big brother and I wasn't exactly planning on going there until my mom rang my cell and had a change of plans. 

Now, I don't really like carrying a purse around with me if I know I'm only going to be a second, so I grabbed my wallet and wrapped Josie up in one of her blankies and walked on in. Our temperature was around 100 F that day and there was no way I was leaving her in that car, even if I was only going to be a second (I mean, those checkout lanes can be ridiculous sometimes!). The poor thing just laid there and slept. I walked on in and the greeter lady began calling after me: "Miss! Miss!" and finally grabbed my arm and stopped me. I tried to look like I was in the biggest hurry in the world, which I kinda was, and asked what she needed. She poked at the blanket and said "Is that a return?" 
I smiled and said, "No, no. No return." 
"Is that a baby?" 
"Yes, it is, this is my baby." About that time, Josie popped her little head out of the opening (still sound asleep, by the way) and the woman's mouth just dropped open. 
"Miss, you have to leave your dog outside." 
"I will NOT." 
"Miss, it's store policy." 
"Excuse me, but I only need to step right there, in fact, you could get the item for me if you would. Ma'am, if you've been outside, you would know that it is entirely too hot for her to be in a car." 
"That ANIMAL is not MY problem!"
"Well, MA'AM, as nice as you put it, she IS MY 'problem' and I refuse to leave her in a car in triple-digit temperatures."
"Only service animals are allowed in the store, honey. It's store policy that any other animals could contaimate the groceries and bother other shoppers." 
"Service animals? With all due respect, ma'am, service animals include German Shepherds, St. Bernards, Labradors, and other very large dogs that are needed to be on a leash and tend to shed and those hairs fly around. Now, my little girl is quite asleep here, wrapped up in her blanket and I seriously doubt that she is going to bother anyone or spread disease." 
This was about the time that she threatened to call her manager, which I requested that she just go ahead and do. So she marched off and I decided that I didn't feel like going through another argument and waiting because I was already running behind, so I sprinted out to my car and began rummaging through the backseat looking for a purse (my car contains a few changes of clothes, several pairs of shoes, food, hair accessories, perfumes, boxes, and many purses--I'm insane). I found my LV Speedy under some gym clothes, which I knew was a perfect size, and laid one of Josie's smaller blankets in it and then put her in it. Poor little thing had no idea what was going on, LOL. I stuck the first toy I grabbed in there as well and ran back into the store, clutching the two sides together so I wouldn't have to zip it up. As I got back into the store, the Greeter Nazi was waiting for me with her shift manager and started looking for the bright pink blanket I'd had earlier. 
"She had it with her just a minute ago," she said.
"Dolores tells me that you seemed to have a problem with some of our store's policies," the manager said.
I smiled my biggest, fakest, Miss America smile and said, "Oh no, sir, everything's quite alright." 
"She was trying to bring a dog in here! She had it wrapped up and told me it was a baby but I saw it and it was a little dog!" the greeter said.
I explained how I never said it was A baby, only that she was MY baby and that I wasn't aware of the fact that I couldn't bring her in, so I took my puppy back to my car (never said that I left her there  ). The manager just acted like he was annoyed at the obvious waste of his time and apologized to me, wished me a great day and then:
"SQUEAK!"
Josie had stepped on her toy. The woman glared at my handbag and said "She brought it back! She's got it in her purse!"
To which I exclaimed, "I beg your pardon!"
The manager asked, "Did you put the dog in your purse, miss?"
"Of course not! Don't you know what this is? THIS is a Louis Vuitton Speedy and have you any idea how much this bag cost? This is a $1,500 bag! Why on earth would I want to put a dog in it?! And what type of dog would fit in one, anyway?"
"Well, what was that squeaking noise, then?" she asked. I said I had no idea what she was talking about and never heard a thing, hehe. The greeter tried to get him to search my purse but that's only slightly illegal, which I was more than happy to let her know. 

So, I was on my way and got the stuff and checked out, but I couldn't let it go there. Just as I was walking out the door, past the greeter lady, I let the flaps go and sure enough, Josie popped her little head out of the bag, with her paws on the front and I smiled and waved good-bye to the greeter lady whose jaw had, once again, hit the floor.


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## CooperChi (Dec 16, 2004)

OMG! you should be an author! That was the funniest story I've read in a long time! I love how you handled it too! Letting Josie sneek her head out of the bag when you were leaving that is priceless!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: GOOD FOR YOU!!!  :thumbright: 

I was in walmart a couple weeks ago and this lady was walking her two yorkies around there on leashes. I've also taked Cooper in there before when he was younger and nobody ever said anything to me! She must have been a greeter with a need for power and control!! :wink:


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## amykate (Jul 6, 2005)

LOL, thanks! It was most definitely something that I had to let all you guys know about. I was pretty annoyed at the time, but when I thought about it later and it all played back in my mind, I was laughing my butt off. They've probably got pictures of me hanging up and I've been banned from Wal-Mart.


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## Auggies Mom (Jun 9, 2004)

Good for you What a great story Was this greeters name Cruella :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## sullysmum (Mar 6, 2004)

Absolutely brilliant story, well done!


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

that was some swift thinking on your part!!! :lol: :lol:


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## czarina (Oct 5, 2004)

That's weird. At my local Wal-mart the greeters allow me to bring in my chi, as long as she is being held at all times. I've even seen other people with dogs, including a shih-tzu riding in someone's shopping cart.


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## chimom (Apr 1, 2005)

OMG - I absolutely love that story. Good for you...

Our local Walmart here will not allow you to take pets in either. I tried it a couple of times - no luck. I've seen and heard them turn away other customers with small dogs also.


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don't shop at Wal-Mart! LOL

I loved the story... I wish Cooper was small enough to fit in a purse (not to mention, if he'd stay in one) because I'd do the same thing. You should have kicked her on the way out, too. I almost said you should have let Josie bite her but we don't want to teach her bad habits... plus, you don't know if that lady had her vaccinations.


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

I don't go to Wal-Mart (cuz the ones near me are sorta icky looking) but I've never had a problem bringing Lily into Target. The only thing close to a warning is that they've asked me not to bring her into the food area, which is perfectly reasonable.

We have, however, been asked to leave Michael's, which puzzled me greatly. But that's their policy so I comply. I'm not much of a rebel. :lol:

Seriously, I think some of these stores are just so paranoid about being sued and having it cost them millions to defend themselves or to pay off ridiculous awards by moronic juries. I can't honestly blame them for being proactive.

I know that's not a popular opinion here.


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## nabi (Nov 25, 2004)

LOL...good for you !


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## Alli (Jul 21, 2005)

HA HA HA!!!!!!!! That is priceless!! Good for you...that took guts!


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## luv4mygirls (Feb 20, 2005)

alright. sssshhhhhhhh DON'T ANYONE HERE TELL MY SECRET! i mean it folks. but this is what i do:

Excuse me miss you can't bring a dog in here.

Um yes I can, she's a therapy dog in training. meeting and greeting new people in everyday situations is part of getting her ready to go into nursing homes and children's hospitals. so yes the law permits me to bring her in here.

Oh ok sorry for the inconveinience..... (spelled that way wrong didn't i hehe)

every time i've tried that they let it go cause they really have no idea the rules and regulations about needing certain tags for working dogs.... hehe...


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## Alisha (Mar 11, 2005)

This is such a cute story and you're a great writer  I completely boycotted a biker rally out of town called Dawgs on Hawgs because they told me no dogs allowed. I emailed them & they still refused so I will not go and my hubby will not go if he wants to live :lol: My 2 have never spent a night away form me.


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## amykate (Jul 6, 2005)

luv4mygirls said:


> alright. sssshhhhhhhh DON'T ANYONE HERE TELL MY SECRET! i mean it folks. but this is what i do:
> 
> Excuse me miss you can't bring a dog in here.
> 
> ...


 :sign5: That's great! I'll have to remember that one next time if I'm still allowed in there :lol: .


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## TareG (Aug 13, 2005)

I have used that excuse before with my Golden retriever, and it does work! 

There are always ways to keep your baby with you! hehe

Way to go with the Walmart story! It was awesome!


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

actually just so you know service and therapy dogs of any kind are permitted in ANY store (you can sue but only if you actually realy do need the dog) if not theyll pull you on fraud) and they DO NOT have to wear any kind of identification.
I know as vixie is a seizure dog...and yet here in ct they STILL give me hassle and ive even had managers tell me to leave and that a chihuahua cannot be a serice dog!(grumbles) i HATE Southern connecticut!


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## LuvMyChi (Aug 8, 2005)

I love this thread!!!  Way to go out-smarting that mean Wally World greeter! Your wrote that story beautifully!

Also the tip about telling them that the dog is a service dog is fantastic! I just KNOW I'll have to try that now! LOL! :lol:


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

I completely agree with Rachael. It's not us that pay their insurance, the lawyers and all the other stuff they have to pay to keep themselves open for business. If they say no dogs, I don't take Cooper in there.

Plus, you cannot control the actions of other people. I am paranoid enough taking him places that does allow dogs (Home Depot, non-pet stores)... I don't want to have to worry about people in stores that specifically do not allow them.


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## JOLIE'SMOM (Jul 15, 2005)

luv4mygirls said:


> alright. sssshhhhhhhh DON'T ANYONE HERE TELL MY SECRET! i mean it folks. but this is what i do:
> 
> Excuse me miss you can't bring a dog in here.
> 
> ...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OMG!! THAT IS BRILLIANT!! :sign5:


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## chimommy (Jun 29, 2005)

Coming from a previous Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market (grocery chain) employee... :wink: 

Most states, if not all, have laws in place that state that animals (other than service animals of course) are not allowed in places that sell/serve food. It is a health violation and the store can be fined. That is why they make such a fuss. Granted many stores won't make a big deal about it but that is the reason for it.

I have never had to deal with that kind of problem because Angel doesn't enjoy going out where there is a lot of commotion so I prefer to just keep her at home.


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## stefania (Apr 16, 2005)

What a amusing story...wow you go girl  Btw i sneak Chico into walmart sometimes(he is in hie carrier)i havent got caught yet


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## usmcjess (May 3, 2005)

That is the funniest thing i have heard.


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## Tinker (Jan 3, 2005)

Marcus goes a lot of places with me as a service dog. He has his patches and a tiny vest. Since I tend to be prone to panic attacks and he does calm them down he actually fits the legal criteria of a service dog. And if I would get his some training which I probably will he can legally be a hearing dog for me also.


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## Vala (Jul 8, 2004)

CooperChi said:


> She must have been a greeter with a need for power and control!! :wink:


  LOL, I agree. Must people that go crazy for control over the most ridiculous things are missing stuff in their life or are just jerks. 

 Good for you but I bet she's always gonna remember your face.


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## Kari (May 13, 2004)

My Wal-Mart has greeters that are like that too. :roll: There are some that would just let me walk on by. I used to bring in Mr. Peepers when he was a baby.


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