Would You Fire a Manager Who Pet Sits a Reactive Dog In Store?

Jessica owned a pet store known for its wide product selection, extensive employee knowledge and outstanding customer service. However, her store manager, Brenda, had created a problem: With the goal of providing such service, she had become known for watching customer dogs in the store while their owners ran errands nearby.

This did not work for Jessica, as it distracted employees from helping other customers and created a serious liability issue. She had spoken to Brenda about this twice before, making it clear that in-store dog sitting was not allowed. Both times, Brenda said she understood.

When Jessica pulled up to her business on a busy Saturday morning, it became clear that Brenda did not understand. She was walking Duke, a large German Shepherd, down the street away from the store. Duke belonged to Bobby, one of Jessica’s best clients. He spent thousands of dollars a year and even promoted her store at different events around town. Duke was great, but highly reactive to other dogs.

Jessica went into her store to find more than a dozen customers and two employees scrambling to help them all. Duke’s owner was nowhere in sight.

When Brenda returned with the dog, he immediately began tugging and barking at other customer dogs. She took him behind the checkout counter, where the barking continued. Adding to the problem, customer dogs knew they would get a treat when they went up to the counter. When a small Boston Terrier did exactly that, Duke lunged and barked at her.

Jessica headed behind the counter to talk to Brenda, who said Bobby had asked her to watch Duke while he shopped at the clothing store next door. It was the first time, she said, and Brenda agreed because, as she told Jessica, “It’s just good customer service,” despite being clearly stressed out by the dog’s behavior.

Jessica told Brenda to take Duke into the back and wait with him there for Bobby to return. She then grabbed a store apron and began helping customers. During a break in the busyness, Jessica asked her other employees if Bobby had left Duke with Brenda before, and they confirmed he had.

When Bobby returned to pick up Duke, Jessica politely told him they would no longer be able to provide dog-sitting services in the store and why. He seemed a little put off, but agreed not to leave Duke there again.

Jessica then spoke to Brenda again about the situation and sent her home, with the hope that losing hours of pay would drive home her point.

Jessica got a text later that day from a customer who was a friend, with a link to a post Brenda had made on her Facebook account. She had announced that she could no longer watch customer dogs in the store because Jessica did not value that customer service.

Was Jessica wrong to prohibit dog-sitting in her store? Should she incorporate it into her business and charge for the service? Should Jessica give Brenda one final warning or fire her?

Tiffany Jackson, Ally 4 Pets, Millersville, MD: Jessica has every right to fire Brenda, which I would recommend because she did not listen to previous direction and continued to take care of pets in the store.

Could Jessica offer pet sitting in her store as a service? That depends on her insurance. If she could create a dedicated space and have dedicated staff, it may be worth it since customers have already had the service. She could poll her customers and come up with a plan.

Johnna Devereaux, Fetch Ri, Richmond, RI: This is a teachable moment if viewed through a different lens. Yes, the role of each team member is to make every customer feel special and important. And while Brenda believed she was doing that, she missed the other side: By taking Duke, she was sacrificing the customer experience for others.

Jessica should explain that the goal isn’t to give all of your attention to one customer; it’s to manage your attention in a way that ensures every customer in the store feels seen, supported and taken care of. That means she does not dog sit. If it ever becomes a service, it’s a business decision Jessica makes and handles in a way that does not take away from the in-store experience of others.

Bill Trufant, B & B Pet Stop, Mobile, AL: Absolutely no free dog sitting in the store. This dilemma shows exactly why. As for Brenda, she has to go. She lied to Jessica and ignored her directives twice. Don’t even get me started about the social media post.

Stephanie Steelman, Wings, Wags & Whiskers, Bushland, TX: We do this for our bird customers, but we charge a small fee. We live in a rural area, and sometimes have customers driving from 30 to 40 minutes away, so coming to town is a big deal.

Brenda definitely needs to be talked to and a better plan be made. Why not have her help figure out how to turn it into a win-win situation? Maybe offer it to your frequent buyers as a service, but limit it to availability — first come, first served — and have a time limit!

Kathleen Folz, Tabby & Jack’s, Stoughton, WI: Brenda had been told multiple times not to pet sit in the store. If Jessica has this documented, it could be immediate grounds for dismissal. While it’s a nice thought, the store does not sound set up to keep dogs safely and has no guidelines. There is no agreement or waiver to be signed by the customer. Brenda made decisions that increased liability and decreased safety.

Also, these services frequently have fees that cover the cost of staff trained and scheduled for this purpose. In forming a response to a customer used to the “service,” I would tell them that the safety of all dogs and customers in the store is always a priority. If you recommend any local dog sitters/walkers, now would be a great time to share those resources.

Barbara Clemmens, Aardvark Pet Supplies, Thornwood, NY: It is odd that the employee does not understand why taking care of Duke is a problem. Of course it is a nice service, but since the store does not offer daycare and it was clearly a disruption to business, it is unacceptable. I would fire her.

I would also reach out to Duke’s owner if he seems unhappy and offer an apology for the misunderstanding. Any reasonable person should understand why this was a bad situation.

Tamie Waugh, Cobber’s Pet Pantry, Enumclaw, WA: As the owner, Jessica determines what services are offered and what risk she is willing to accept, as well as if her insurance would allow for it. If the community desires such a service and Jessica has the capacity to provide it, in-store pet sitting could be offered with clear parameters and a signed waiver. (What if the dog had a medical emergency, was in a fight, got loose?)

Gianna Lattimore, Very Important Pooch, Myrtle Beach, SC: Beyond pulling Brenda away from her actual responsibilities, this opens the business up to serious legal risk if anything happens involving Duke. Jessica is 100% justified in putting a stop to this. Given the multiple warnings, dishonesty and now the social media post, I would fire Brenda immediately. Not doing so would send the wrong message to other employees and open the door for more issues.

If she wanted, Jessica could consider adding a service like this properly with a dedicated space, staffing and appropriate insurance. It would, however, require a significant investment to do it right and make it worthwhile. Instead, I’d advise Jessica to make a short, clear announcement about why this service is not available, and partner with a pet sitter.

Chip Bridges, Blue Ridge Pet Supplies, Black Mountain, NC: I would not even entertain dog sitting while someone shopped. That’s simply not a service my store could provide because there would be no place to put the dog. Jessica’s store sounds the same.

Brenda’s cumulative actions boil down to a fireable offense. Jessica told Brenda twice, and Brenda ignored her. Either Jessica is a bad communicator or Brenda is a stubborn employee (or both). Since it was “made clear” that Brenda was not to do this again, I put the blame on Brenda. The fact she abandoned her job to walk the dog and left employees scrambling would be enough for me to no longer trust her to manage my store.

Keeping Brenda in a lesser capacity is asking for future headaches. Even if there was any chance to make things work, the Facebook post was the final straw. Employing someone willing to trash talk her place of employment is paying someone to be a walking liability.

Elsa Tatom, My Pet Garden, Pasadena, CA: Brenda is gone! Disagreeing in the store would get a warning, but public bashing is wildly disrespectful. Not to mention that Jessica is protecting her business by not allowing a reactive dog to be watched in store, even on leash, where he can interact with other dogs. It’s not safe. While convenience and customer service have their places, safety comes first always.

At the end of the conversation, she would need to sign the write-up that I prepared. She would be placed on a 30-day PIP. She would also need to remove the post and agree not to discuss “watching dogs in store” with customers. If there is pushback or this behavior continues, I would not have a problem letting her move on.

Theresa Sexton, For Healthy Pets, Montgomery, AL: If Jessica wants to offer and charge for the service, that’s up to her, but if she doesn’t want to, she’s the owner and isn’t wrong for prohibiting Brenda from dog sitting in the store. Normally I believe in second chances, but this is a tough one. I would want to fire Brenda because I do not tolerate lying and insubordination. She purposely ignored Jessica’s instructions. I’d probably fire her, but at minimum she should get a written warning that this is her last chance to get it right.

There are two ways to handle the post, and I’m not sure which is the best option. Jessica could address it by posting something like “It’s not that we don’t value the service, but…” a) our insurance prohibits us from dog-sitting, or b) we don’t have the proper facilities/number of employees to ensure your pet’s safety and provide customer service on the floor. Or, she could leave it alone as most people probably understand a pet boutique doesn’t always offer daycare and they wouldn’t think twice about Brenda’s post.

Beth Kidd, Dogs by Design, Irwin, PA: Jessica is right in not allowing this to continue. She would have to get insurance to cover in-store pet sitting; and should anything happen with the aggressive dog, she would be liable.

Honestly, since Brenda had been warned numerous times already, the post on her Facebook page would be the last straw for me. Not only would she be let go, but I would reply to her post that my insurance does not allow for in-store pet sitting. Brenda may not care, but any customers would see it and understand.