Shakespeare’s quote from the 17th century tragedy Hamlet “To be or not to be, that is the question” is a well known one. An adaptation for 21st century pet owners could be “To bring or not to bring your pet, that is the question.”
Given that “No pets” signs have become ubiquitous at stores and restaurants in major cities nowadays, is it really impossible to take your pet shopping or dining? Not necessarily. One store chain that specializes in home decor merchandise has never banned pets from entering in the company of their owners since its founding 15 years ago. Furthermore, four to five years ago, it took another step toward welcoming four-legged furry friends with open arms by providing pets-only shopping carts for pet owners to spend quality time shopping with their pets.
None of us likes monotony, and the same applies to our furry friends. In addition to the same old paths along which pet owners walk their canine buddies or feline pals as part of the daily routine, our pets also want to go somewhere different to satisfy their curious minds. Vivi Chen, a public relations officer of the store chain told the Taipei Times that the purpose of designing the pets-only shopping carts was to allow customers to shop with ease. Each cart is covered with a sheet of white newspaper before use and it is cleaned and disinfected after use.
Photo: Lin Ya-ti, Taipei Times
照片：台北時報記者林亞蒂
Surveys over the past few years show that many consumers like the pet-shopping cart service because it is different from the services offered by other stores, said Chen. The service was originally inspired by the company’s pet-owning manager and employees, who exercised their ingenuity to come up with this unique service, which cannot be found in any other similar establishment. The service has now been extended to a major home improvement store chain, which belongs to the same corporation as the home decor store chain.
When asked whether any conservative customers have opposed the service, Chen said that as of today, there have not been any complaints about the service, which is widely accepted by customers. Occasionally, the store finds that the service encourages positive interaction among customers since pets are a great reason for starting up a conversation. Use of the pet cart service is high, and there are frequently no vacant carts during weekends and holidays, said Chen.
With animal rights being a popular topic these days and many pet owners considering their pets to be a part of the family, it seems that creating a pet-friendly environment seems inevitable in civilized societies. No matter how long the process of reaching that pet-friendly state is, now at least one store chain has taken the initiative to embrace pets of all shapes and sizes in the same way as it welcomes its human customers. Pet owners can now enjoy a day of shopping at the store without having to wonder whether “to bring or not to bring” their pet.
Photo: Lin Ya-ti, Taipei Times
照片：台北時報記者林亞蒂
(Lin Ya-ti, Taipei Times)
十七世紀沙翁筆下《哈姆雷特》有句著名獨白：「生存或是死亡，這就是問題所在。」對生活在二十一世紀的寵物飼主來說，他們的獨白可能是：「帶寵物或不帶寵物，這就是問題所在。」
在「禁帶寵物」告示遍及各大城市百貨賣場與餐廳的今天，帶寵物逛大街吃好料，真的門都沒有嗎？不盡然。有一家以居家家飾與家用品為主的連鎖商場，自十五年前開幕至今從未禁止顧客攜帶寵物，近四到五年來，更是展現對寵物的友善態度，設置寵物專用推車，方便顧客在寵物的陪伴下逛街採購，這對飼主來說，真是一大福音。
Photo: Lin Ya-ti, Taipei Times
照片：台北時報記者林亞蒂
沒有人喜歡一成不變的生活，寵物也不例外。除了每日例行的遛貓遛狗路線外，相信對事物充滿好奇的寵物們，偶爾也想到不一樣的地方東逛西看。該居家用品賣場公關陳惠君向《台北時報》表示，公司設計寵物推車，是為了讓顧客能更輕鬆選購商品；每一台推車在使用前會鋪上白報紙，使用後都會進行消毒。
陳惠君表示，在這幾年的消費者調查中，有多位消費者特別激賞寵物推車服務，此為有別於其他賣場的貼心服務。此服務乃是來自於有養寵物的營運主管與同仁一起思考設計的獨創服務，後來因集團整合，也將此服務擴展到一間大型居家修繕賣場連鎖。
問及是否有「恐寵者」反對此服務，陳惠君表示，目前並無反對聲音，顧客接受度高。該店家偶爾會發現顧客間因為寵物而有良性互動，因為寵物是啟動話匣子的好題材。店家表示，寵物推車服務使用率很高，周末假日通常沒有空車。
隨著動物權利意識抬頭，以及寵物即家中一份子的觀念，營造一個寵物友善環境，似乎是文明社會必然來到的境界。無論達到此境界的過程有多漫長，至少今天已有一間大型賣場連鎖開先例，以對待人類顧客般地歡迎大小寵物，讓飼主毋須苦惱「帶或不帶寵物」，而是無後顧之憂地帶著家中寶貝出門血拚一番。
（台北時報記者林亞蒂）
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