Jim Crocker of Modern Myths in Northampton, Massachusetts saw the recent column by Steve Bennett of Dark Star Comics (see 'Confessions of a Comic Book Guy--Saying Goodbye To A Valued Employee'), and feels that store pets are not a good idea:

It's my belief that issues related to cleanliness, personal safety (both yours AND the animal's) and the allergy issues of customers should far outweigh any personal enjoyment (or 'geek squee') that might come from bringing one's pet at work.

There are plenty of folks who will protest that having a 'store pet' is a venerable independent retail tradition.  Unfortunately, the same can be said of poor customer service, unreliable hours, bad stocking, and a lack of public restrooms.  So maybe it's time to recognize there's a reason why you'll not see pets in the mall any time soon: they belong at home where they are safe, and not in a public that's meant for commerce.

If you're still planning on getting a mascot (or even if you already have one), no matter how bad an idea that may be, please take a moment out to be sure and read your lease thoroughly to make sure you're not providing your landlord with a handy 'get the tenant out free' card.  Ours is explicit in not allowing pets in the store under any circumstances except as designated helper animals (i.e., seeing eye dogs, etc), and I can't imagine such a clause is terribly uncommon for commercial leases.

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