“No Pets” Means “NO PETS”

I worked at a company that helped unemployed people find jobs. I filled in at the last minute for a coworker who went into labor two weeks early, covering her clients in her absence. One of her clients came in with a dog. Service animals are allowed in the building, but pets are not.

Me: “Oh, hi! I didn’t know you had a service dog. Let me—”

Man: “She’s not.”

Me: “She’s not a service dog?”

Man: “[Coworker] let me bring her last time.”

Me: “I see. Well, it is unfortunately against policy, so—”

Man: “And [Coworker] let me do it, so you have to.”

Me: “I understand that you may have been misinformed in the past, but these are the rules.”

Man: “She’s a service dog.”

Me: “You already told me she isn’t a service dog, sir. If there is no one with you to take the dog, you’ll have to reschedule for a time when you can come without her.”

Man: “When does [Coworker] come back?”

Me: “I don’t know the date, sir. I can have her call you when she gets back, but I will be reminding her of the pet policy.”

He stepped into my space, so close that his jacket was touching me.

Man: “Listen here. I always bring my dog. Nobody tells me no, and it won’t start with you.”

Me: “It does start with me, sir. No pets. Have a nice day.”

I stepped back and turned away, busying myself with other work. I was shaking and my heart was racing, but I tried to remain calm until he left.

When [Coworker]’s maternity leave was up, we met with our supervisor to discuss what she’d missed. 

Me: “…and [Man] brought his dog. He said you allowed it? I told him only service dogs are permitted, and he got in my space over it.”

Coworker: *Blushing* “He’s one of those guys who… like, I told him he couldn’t have her in the building, and he got in my face, and I just didn’t want to keep arguing, so I just let him do it.”

Supervisor: “Okay. That’s when you get security. If he comes back, he can’t have the dog. “

Coworker: “But he gets mad—”

Supervisor: “Let him get mad. Let him go somewhere else. We’ll survive.”

[Man] did come back — again with the dog — and [Coworker] allowed it again because she was intimidated by him. [Supervisor] was in a nearby meeting when he heard a dog barking and came to investigate. [Coworker] was playing tug with the dog when [Supervisor] walked in. [Man] was released from our work assistance program, and [Coworker] was fired for repeatedly not following policy.