A garden centre's controversial no-dogs policy at its newest Leicestershire site has been widely backed by readers. Bosses at Gates said it "loves dogs" but had been forced to make the "difficult decision" amid irresponsible dog owners at other sites.
The garden centre, which is taking over the former Dobbies site in Hinckley, caused a stir earlier this week when it confirmed the ban on dogs at its new site which is set to open soon. The no-dogs policy does not apply to assistance dogs and follows the successful enforcement at its Oakham site, which saw over one million visitors last year.
The ban has divided customers online, but many on LeicestershireLive are fully supportive of the move. Kazbo25 said: “I love dogs, but in a garden centre, no. Imagine an elderly or less able person tripping over a lead or a dog.”
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Fellow reader WestEnd said: “I don't understand entitled people who demand to bring their dogs onto someone's business premises. Plenty of people are afraid of dogs or just don't like them jumping up on them.”
A Gates spokesperson told LeicestershireLive this week that the decision was made "with great consideration for all visitors and staff" following unsuccessful attempts to permit dogs on the premises. However, some readers believe the ban will see many shoppers boycott Gates and go elsewhere.
Max Kirby said: “I'm a dog owner and my dogs have never soiled in a retail premise. The centre has the right to do this, but the previous owners allowed dogs except in the cafe and food retail area. People will find places they can take their dog if they want to and these days that represents a large proportion of the population. Businesses that allow dogs do so as their income could suffer significantly without that trade.”
Traceye agrees: “My family and I have taken our dog to the old Woodlands garden site for many years, along with many other dog owners. There was a designated area in the restaurant for people to sit with their pet. There didn't seem to be any problems with people cowering in terror, in fact many were pleased to see her!”
Gates' bosses have defended their decision though, saying the existing policy had generally been favoured by their Oakham customers due to the pleasant atmosphere it fostered. This, they said, was particularly the case in the restaurant and farm shop areas.
Many readers believed dog owners themselves were part of the problem. Kadymogs said: “Many dog owners - not all - are entitled, unaware of those who do not own a dog, do not keep their pets under control, allowing them to foul anywhere while not picking up and disposing of it appropriately. Time to take a stand.”
Not1tomoan agrees: “Sadly there seems to have been an increase in irresponsible dog owners since Covid. Having had dogs for well over 40 years it saddens me to see the amounts of mess left by some. I couldn't blame anyone for banning them from such premises.”
How do you feel about the dog ban? Would you be more or less likely to visit knowing dogs are not allowed on the premises? Have your say in our comments section.
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