Listed: Dogs in cafes, on planes and in Bunnings debate tears Aussies apart
Dogs are meant to be a man’s best friend but apparently not everyone is a fan, as these cases prove. HAVE YOUR SAY
They’re man’s best friend but not always seen that way by others.
In November 2025 the “dogs in Bunnings Warehouse” debate erupted, with customers clashing over whether canines have a place in the major hardware chain.
That case – and the furore it sparked – added to our long list of dog debates: Do they belong in cafes? What’s the etiquette with poo? Should they always be on a leash?
These are the wild debates we can’t solve >>>
Bunnings barney
A Bunnings customer in Brisbane took to social media to complain about people bringing their pet dogs into stores with them.
It’s common practice – and within Bunnings guidelines – to bring pets shopping as long as they are in trolleys or restrained.
“Keep your dog at home! Bunnings is a hardware store not a dog park,” the customer posted to r/Bunnings on Reddit.
The post generated a significant reaction online, with people expressing mixed views.
Several people were supportive of dogs being allowed into the stores, including an employee.
“I work at Bunnings and I love seeing the dogs, it makes work enjoyable,” an employee commented.
Hygiene concerns
In Brisbane in July 2024, a weekday morning coffee turned into a flashpoint when Little Genovese, a long‑time dog‑friendly spot, was told to halt indoor pups after a lone complaint about a staffer patting a dog and not washing hands.
Regulars protested, the owner conceded the rules, and the moment crystallised the national standard that bans pets inside food venues while leaving outdoor areas to venue discretion. Brisbane City Council signalled it would push for a rethink, but for now the line stays where it is.
In an online poll about 66 per cent of readers voted that dogs should not be allowed in venues.
Lead fine
On the Sunshine Coast, a business owner ducked out for a quick coffee with her heeler and kept the lead under her foot.
Weeks later an $806 infringement landed in her inbox, the council citing new state rules and insisting “effective control” means the lead must be held.
The fine lit up talkback and social feeds, with locals asking whether enforcement matched the risk and whether cafe strips had been clearly educated about the change since July 31, 2024.
Dog droppings
At Bunnings, the argument often starts with a smell. Shoppers posted photos of dog droppings in aisles and smeared on trolley wheels, and suddenly the Saturday sausage sizzle had competition for most divisive topic.
The chain held its ground, saying most owners do the right thing and that staff will deal with accidents quickly, but calls to ban non‑assistance dogs surge each time another “disgusting find” goes viral.
Off the leash
In May 2024 a Gold Coast woman whose dog was fighting for life after a brutal off-leash attack by multiple dogs said her pet had its head savaged and was shaken nearly to death.
Mags Bowen was taking her daily afternoon walk in Gainsborough Parklands in Pimpama on February 28 at the time.
“We always take that route … and right as we were approaching the end of the field I could see another owner and his dogs were right in front of me – off leash,” Ms Bowen said.
“(The dogs) just stopped and just stared at me for just a second and I knew instantly they were going to come in and attack – and they did.”
Safety warnings
A Queensland shopper described flinching as a big dog in a trolley snapped its head in her direction; she couldn’t see a lead secured to the cart and wondered what would stop a lunge.
Her post revived a common refrain: if a policy allows dogs “on a lead or secured in a trolley,” what does secured actually mean on a packed weekend, and who enforces it at the moment of risk?
Pet peeve
In November 2020 Courier-Mail columnist Kylie Lang highlighted the concerns of those who may not fancy dogs as much as owners.
“Dogs running amok in cafes is as appetising as children doing the same,” she wrote.
“If you can’t keep them under control, leave them at home.
“Just because you love your fur baby, doesn’t mean others will.
“My friend hates dogs. So I took him to a dog cafe
“Many people don’t appreciate being licked on the leg by a stranger’s animal, or trying to have a conversation amid a barking war.”
Bunnings battle
At Bunnings Stafford in 2021 witnesses said staff asked the larger dog’s owner to use a lead, but inside the store the dog attacked and fatally injured a smaller dog being wheeled in a trolley.
The attacker’s owner fled, the smaller dog couldn’t be saved, and public sentiment swung hard towards bans and tighter rules.
Queensland later toughened dangerous dog laws with steeper fines and even jail in severe cases, but the memory still shapes how people read every new incident in stores today.
Dogs on planes?
In March 2021 pet lovers were calling on the government to get in line with other countries and allow small dogs and cats to be carried in the cabin on domestic flights.
A change.org petition, titled ‘Domestic Carry on Travel with Pets in Australia’ and aimed at the Federal Government and all domestic airlines, garnered more than 16,000 signatures out of a goal of 25,000 within a week.
The issue resurfaced in August 2025 when Virgin announced it would allow pets in the cabin on flights.
Poo picking
A Queensland woman in May 2024 sparked outrage on social media after being caught failing to pick up after her bulldog.
The Lycra clad blonde was filmed on a front door camera in Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast walking her pooch before the pair stop in front of the home and she watches the dog defecate on the nature strip.
With her black leggings she paired a beige puffer jacket and dog bags attached to the lead handle.
More than 90 per cent of people online voted that they always pick up after their dog.
Beach bans
Sunshine Coast Council in December 2025 signalled dog owners face further restrictions after adopting a radical 20-year plan to govern access to beaches and protect key coastlines.
But the council has also promised to develop new off-leash dog parks across the region.
Under the plan adopted by the council, dogs will be banned from rocky foreshores at Point Perry, Point Arkwright, Point Cartwright, Moffat Headland and Caloundra Headland.
The shake-up for the region’s 54,000 dogs, which are expected to grow in number to 80,000 in the next 20 years, follows more than 2300 submissions from the public and four petitions.
Originally published as Listed: Dogs in cafes, on planes and in Bunnings debate tears Aussies apart
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