Are Dogs Allowed in Lowes Stores? Dog Friendly Policy?
Most dog owners assume that they cannot take their dogs into stores and malls, so they tether them up outside. The assumption is quite correct in some places because some store owners do not allow dogs into their stores.
However, in the United States of America, the case is different as many stores here are dog friendly; they allow you to bring in your dog so long you can keep them in check.
In the case of Lowes, you may have been told that they are dog friendly, but it does not imply that you can take your dog inside the store. It is quite complicated. Read this article to find out more.
We went all out to find vital information regarding Lowes and their pet policy. This research for info made us contact some of Lowes’ employees on Twitter; the responses we got were quite surprising. Here is our discovery regarding taking dogs into Lowes.
The question is, does Lowes allow dogs? Yes, but not all dogs. According to the official Lowes pet policy, only service dogs can be allowed to enter the store.
However, many employees and stores (at their discretion) have no problem with customers bringing their dogs into Lowes. The stores and employees in question show a relaxed attitude to customers who come to their stores with dogs. They only ask for evidence that such a dog is for disability support purposes or for service.
Lowes Dog Policy
We gathered from an employee of Lowes (home improvement store) that the official pet policy is as follows:
‘Lowes changed their dog policy from 2012, they allow dogs genuinely proven to be for service purpose. Such dogs must be kept under control, cleaned up and leashed.’
At this point, you might be confused as to how effective the policy is because you have heard about people who took their dogs into Lowes. Or you might have probably seen pooches and puppies in Lowes’ aisle the last time you visited the store.
And you know that most of those dogs you saw are not service dogs.
The Management Does Not Always Enforce Lowes Pet Policy
After stating the status quo, you might then wonder why the dog policy is confusing and why its implementation varies from one store to the other.
To answer these questions, we interacted with some present and past employees from Lowes to determine why Lowes dog-friendly policy varies according to the store location.
Some of the employees confided in us anonymously by sending us private messages on our social media handles; here’s what they have to say:
‘One summer, while working in my local store, I assumed that Lowes permits dogs. Even my manager didn’t tell me otherwise. So in most cases we do not reject dog except the dog does something bad.’
‘Lowes store is dog friendly. Although it largely depends on the management team’s decision for a specific store location. The particular store where I worked does not implement the Lowes dog policy. They even told me not to ask customers about their dogs when greeting them at the door.’
‘When I was working in Lowes, there was a rumour that the team leader said it would be too much stress to ask every customer with a dog if their dog is certified as a service dog and they have documentation for it. My wage was not enough for me to argue with the customers so we just let them pass through with or without dogs.’
‘Some of my colleagues usually carry small stacks of doggie delicacies in their bibs. It is not often a good idea, a dog messed up the dry wall aisle last Easter, and there was no report of it or clean up. Other customers were running carts on it for about thirty minutes.’
From the above feedbacks, you can see that many Lowes stores are dog friendly, and not many of them implement the service dog rule.
Lowes is Pet-Friendly Depending on Your Location
There is no essential list of stores which are more dog friendly than the others. What you can do is to put a call through to the Lowes store you want to visit to know if they allow dogs or not. This is because it all depends on the management of that particular store.
So if you call ahead, you will know whether to take your dog along or not.
Reports of Dog Attacks In Lowes
One might wonder why Lowes exhibits such a careless approach towards dogs being permitted in their stores. There will undoubtedly be liability and insurance issues at stake.
For instance, if a dog bites someone in Lowes, this could put the management in big trouble. This has happened before. In 2014, police arrested a dog owner because his pet named Akika attacked an infant in the Lowes Murrieta in Canada.
The dog bit the toddler so much that the young child ended up with fifty stitches. Subsequent reports stated that Lowes was sued, although the end of the lawsuit is unknown.
So why does Lowes still not enforce service dog policy better to avert incidences like this? This comment from a forum suggests reasons why Lowes permits dogs without checking them.
‘It is probably because Lowes have carried out a market survey and discovered that increased insurance costs and minimal risks are balanced by customer loyalty and satisfaction. I do not like most of Lowes’ practices and avoid the store, but I support them in allowing dogs into their stores.
On the same thread, when asked why dog owners take their dog into Lowes without proving that it is a service dog, the commenter said this:
‘I guess Lowes allows leashed dogs because they cater to veterans. Besides, they offer veterans discounts, designated parking, and even make special publications for them.
The Popular Lowes Service Dog
Lowes employed a disabled military veteran and his service dog in 2016 as an official employee to prove that the pet policy is thriving. The dog, Charlotte, has been supporting the veteran for ten years.
Charlotte is now fondly called the Golden Retriever. He even has his own Lowes branded vest, which he puts on while on duty.
Reviews from Customers Who Loves Lowes Dog-Friendly Policy
Many pet owners love the fact that Lowes allows dogs because they do not have to keep their pets at home when they go shopping. The customers leave positive reviews. This gives the store an edge and increases its customer base.
Some Customers Are Unhappy That Lowes Permits Dogs
As expected, not everyone would be happy about the dog-friendly policy. And they have their reasons. These customers feel that Lowes should not allow dogs into the store because it makes the store dirty and leaves it smelling like dog poop.
Another customer said that his kid is afraid of dogs, so the child has to remain in the car when he visits the store. The customer wants Lowes to prioritize their customers above dogs.
Conclusion
Some dog owners and lovers still question why customers take their dogs into the stores. On their part, they feel it is not right, and they would not do it.
They have several reasons for this. First, they feel that only service dogs should be allowed. Secondly, dogs can misbehave at any given time, no matter how well behaved they are.
Problems could arise from taking dogs into Lowes. It is best to leash them outside to store and save yourself the stress of lawsuits and other related issues.
