PALM SPRINGS – Palm Springs is generally a dog-friendly place but it has strict rules on where they can and can’t be.

Dog owner Erskine Wood adopted his three-year-old dog and fell in love right away but he said there’s quite a few places in town he can’t take his closest companion.

“It’s not legal to take a dog into a grocery store, which I understand,” Wood said.

Grocery stores, restaurants, pools and certain businesses don’t allow pet dogs according to the Riverside County Dep. of Environmental Health.

Service dogs, which are trained to help a person with a disability, are a different story. They’re allowed pretty much everywhere.

While non-service dogs aren’t allowed inside restaurants, they are allowed to sit outside on the patio depending on the restaurant.

The guidelines for grocery stores are extremely strict.

Wood learned that the hard way when he made a quick stop at the grocery store on a decently cool day.

“I was in there for about five minutes and when I came back out there was a note on my window,” Wood said. It read “‘How dare you leave your dog unattended in your car, it’s against the law and shame on you.’”

Wood said he doesn’t know what to do in those situations.

“I understand the rules,” he said. “But I also understand why I was in the position where I had to break it that day.”

For safety measures, keep the dog at home during hot days and always call wherever you’re going to make sure they have a dog-friendly policy.

For extra information on guidelines for pets: file:///C:/Users/News/Downloads/80-12-DES%20Guidelines%20for%20Pet%20Dogs%20in%20Outdoor%20Dining%20Areas.pdf

For extra information on guidelines for service animals: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/16438c518e792f1e?projector=1&messagePartId=0.2

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