Naperville Business Lawyer Discusses the 1,600-Pound Steer Who Visited a Texas Pet Store

When you own and operate a business, it is up to you to set your own policies and rules. As we have discussed previously in various posts on this blog, it is important for your policies to be reasonable and in line with your company’s objectives. It is also important for you to be consistent in enforcing your policies and rules. Inconsistency on your part could damage your reputation, and in extreme cases, could lead to allegations of favoritism or discrimination.

As a business law attorney, I was amused to hear about how a particular policy was tested in a light-hearted way last month when a man took his leashed pet into a Petco store in Atascocita, Texas. As you might have guessed by now, his pet was not a dog, a cat, or even a lizard; it was an eight-ton longhorn steer.

“All Leashed Pets are Welcome”

Petco is one of the largest pet store chains in the country with more than 1,500 stores in North America. The company is known for its policy of allowing all leashed pets to accompany their owners on visits to Petco stores. Most people, of course, bring their cats, dogs, and the occasional pig or young calf, but a former rodeo champion turned heads last month when he walked in leading a 1,600 Ankole-Watusi steer named Oliver. Also called African Watusi, this particular breed of cattle is known for its prominent horns, which are not only several feet wide but can also measure two to three feet in circumference.

Vincent Browning—a former champion bullrider—and his wife Shelly are regulars at the Atascocita Petco location, and they stopped at the store last month with Oliver in a trailer. They went into the store and checked with management who immediately told the couple, “Yeah, bring him in as long as you clean up the mess.” The Brownings unloaded Oliver and led him to the entrance, where the 14-year-old steer had to turn his head to fit his massive horns through the doorway.

“We brought him in there, and he did great,” said Shelly Browning. Oliver was too big to fit down the aisles, so he stayed at the front, but employees and patrons alike were happy to pet him and enjoy the experience. The couple owns ten other African Watusi on their ranch in Liberty, TX. They said they would like to bring Oliver back to the store again sometime soon.

From Petco’s perspective, things could not have gone better. “We’re so glad that our guests and [employees] got to experience this fun and happy moment,” said Jonathan Williamson, vice president of animal care, education, and merchandising for Petco. “That’s what Petco is all about.”

A DuPage County Business Attorney Can Review Your Policies

If you have questions about your company’s policies and your efforts to enforce them evenly and consistently, contact an experienced Naperville business lawyer to get the answers. Call 630-756-1160 for a confidential consultation at the Gierach Law Firm today.

Sources:

Houston Chronicle

Washington Post