A controversial photo of a dog sitting inside a shopping cart has sparked intense debate among shoppers.
On Sunday, the dog, which appears to be a Staffy, was spotted in a Brisbane Coles while its owner browsed the aisles.
The person who snapped the photo shared it on a local Reddit forum, referring to the dog lightheartedly as a “good boof”.
However, many commenters argued that pets should not be allowed in supermarkets for hygiene reasons.
News.com.au understands that Coles upholds high food safety standards and is committed to providing a clean and safe environment for its customers.
A spokesperson for Coles told this publication, “We do not allow everyday pets or animals to enter our stores.
“Assistance and companion animals are welcome to accompany their owners in our stores if they are clearly identified by a collar, coat, or harness.
In the comments section, one user pointed out that this shopper’s behavior contributes to people with genuine assistance dogs being unjustifiably harassed.
They said, “Because others bring their untrained pets into stores, people with trained assistance dogs are often told to leave.”
Another user shared their thoughts by saying, “I love dogs, especially big boofheads like that. But get it out of the cart and away from food sales and preparation areas — gross.”
A third commenter added, “Carts aren’t cleaned as often as people think they are. Now that one has a dog’s ass on it.”
Another user offered a PSA for dog owners: “You do not have to take your dog everywhere. Leave them at home.”
Other comments labelled the act as “entitled,” “arrogant,” “disgusting,” and “irresponsible.”
One commenter claimed that the dog owner, who appears tall and muscular with a shaved head, “knew that employees would be too intimidated by him and his aggressive dog to say anything.”
“This looks like the breed that’s often in the news for attacking and harming people, especially children. I wouldn’t want that in a supermarket near kids,” another remarked.
Some commenters placed blame on Bunnings, suggesting the store had set a precedent by allowing pets, with one saying, “Now people think they can bring their dogs anywhere.”
However, not everyone was concerned, with some pointing out that there are bigger issues to worry about.
A supermarket employee remarked, “Dogs are probably the least of your worries. We find carts daily containing dirty diapers, snotty tissues, and even dirty needles.”
“At least the dog is in a cart, so it can’t attack anyone,” commented another user.
According to the Food Standards Code, “a food business must not allow live animals in areas where food is handled or served.”
The Code permits assistance animals in any area accessible to customers.
Assistance animals are defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 as guide dogs, dogs trained to assist individuals with hearing impairments, or other animals trained to help people with disabilities.
It is unclear whether the dog in question was an assistance dog.
In a similar incident in September, two dogs were spotted in shopping carts at a Woolworths store in Ballina, NSW, without their owner.
The pets were described as “tearing past” shoppers, which alarmed many due to their large breed.
A photo went viral showing the two Staffies happily sitting in separate carts which staff members seemingly contained them in.
Despite no harm occurring, people were outraged over how the situation was handled and also voiced concerns about hygiene.
One concerned viewer stated, “Hope those two carts got a good cleaning before being used again.”
Another added, “I can’t imagine fancy shopping and using these carts after those dogs have been in them.”
Earlier this year, shoppers at Bunnings were frustrated by dog poo left on the floor by “lazy” owners.
A furious customer posted a photo online showing several dog droppings scattered along a Bunnings aisle.
The customer wrote, “I’m probably going to get roasted for this, but I am so sick of dogs and their owners at Bunnings. On my last visit, there was literal dog waste in the aisle.”
They explained that they had to quickly find a staff member to report the issue, but when they returned, they discovered that a woman had rolled over the mess with her shopping cart.
Rachael McVitty, Bunnings’ Chief Customer Officer, stated that the company has welcomed pets in stores for many years and values customer feedback.
“Like many other retailers that offer pet products, we take a commonsense approach when welcoming dogs into our stores. The feedback we receive shows that the vast majority of pet owners are respectful of other customers and our team while they’re here,” she said.
“We work hard to ensure our stores remain safe and welcoming environments for everyone, so we’re disappointed to hear that one of our customers had a negative experience.”
