Simple solution to Bunnings dog ban outcry

There are calls for Bunnings to ban dogs from its stores, but the problem isn’t the store’s policy, but the reckless actions of a few careless owners.

This is Dobby, living his best life at Bunnings.

Just after I staged a photo shoot with my one-year-old spoodle sprawled out on the concrete floor at the Warringah hardware store, he was instructed to hop into a trolley fit with a cardboard box – per the store’s rules – and join me on my quest to find silicone.

He sat there like a good boy, grinning from ear-to-ear, thrilled to be participating in a task most human children annoyingly whine about.

Plot twist Dobby actually owns Bunnings.

Which leads us to the reignited debate over whether dogs should be allowed at Bunnings – one of the only indoor places they’re actually allowed to go.

One disgruntled staff member triggered the suggestion this week in a viral Reddit thread complaining, “I don’t get paid enough to clean up your dog’s p*ss and sh*t.” And at first, that’s all I thought it was – one disgruntled Bunnings staffer.

But a reader poll conducted by news.com.au on Wednesday revealed only one in five respondents of more than 24,000 readers were in favour of keeping the pooch policy in place.

Who are the four out of five people in favour of killing such joy? Do you really spend that much time at Bunnings to care that much about what other customers are doing?

As someone in favour of keeping the policy, I’m not even there that much. While sometimes I take the dog simply because I can, other times, it’s just convenient if we’re heading home from the park and I need to pick up some plant juice (otherwise known as fertiliser).

In regards to the complaint that kicked off this furore, it’s just ridiculous to think a dog would go to the toilet in a moving trolley, which begs the question whether the rules are being properly enforced across all stores.

Barney's first visit to Bunnings. Put this in a frame stat. Picture: anamackey/Reddit

Another pup living his best Bunnings life. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Yes, there is a possibility that the trolley policy could be more strictly enforced, but I’m putting a big part of the blame on my dog owner community here.

The responsibility lands on the owner to ensure their pup has gone to the toilet first to avoid such a messy mishap. Or at the very least, clean it up if there’s an accident. I’d never expect a staffer to clean up my dog’s droppings.

While I’m a dog lover through-and-through, there really is nothing worse than discovering you’ve stepped in excrement, and it’s these ignorant people that spoil it for everyone.

This same sense of responsibility should also apply if your pet is known to exhibit somewhat aggressive tendencies.

For the love of dogs everywhere, just show some basic respect and we can all keep our Bunnings rights. The Queen’s corgis went on private planes with Her Majesty. A trip to Bunnings for our four-legged friends is our bogan equivalent. One can’t lose such privileges.

If dogs could speak they’d ask to go to Bunnings. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

What’s interesting about this anti-dog sentiment is that the majority of Australian households (61 per cent in fact) own a pet.

In 2021, the pet industry in Australia was worth around $13 billion, according to Nine.

And, per ibisworld.com/au, the market size of the Pets and Pet Supplies Retailers industry is expected to have increased further in 2022, with a forecast 14.8 per cent growth.

If it makes dollars it makes sense, which is no doubt why places like Bunnings influence policies in-line with society trends. There’s even talk airlines are considering introducing dog-friendly flights.

But ultimately, if owners don’t clean up their (dog’s) act, these benefits will be in jeopardy.

Aside from the argument over dog poo, there were a fair few judgy Judys on the Reddit thread criticising dog owners for having developed an “almost unhealthy attachment to their pets” as a result of Covid isolation.

Ah, der @Gal_gadonutt. What of it.

Anywhere, and I mean anywhere, I can take my dog, he comes with me. Cafes? Obviously, with his own side of ham. Newsagents? Absolutely, the lottery ticket is as good as his.

My little furry buddy only has about 14 or so years on this earth and they’ll damn well be crammed with family trips to Bunnings and beyond.

For some people – whether it be choice or circumstance – a dog is like their child. We want their company as much as possible, and they want ours.

Just please clean up after them and we can all live in peace.

Continue the conversation @LexieCartwright. If I don’t reply promptly it’s because I’m at Bunnings with my dog