Downtown Ann Arbor Borders no longer allowing dogs in store

As Marcia Polenberg waited outside Borders with her Shetland Sheepdog named Caravaggio today, she grew angry.

After years of stopping by the downtown Ann Arbor bookstore at 612 E. Liberty St. while walking her dog, the Ann Arbor resident was greeted by a sign that said non-service dogs are no longer welcome in the store.

“My dog has never fought with another dog or eaten a book or a person,” she said. “I don’t know that this is a good policy. I will be much less inclined to shop here.”

Ann Arbor resident Marcia Polenberg waits outside the main doors of Ann Arbor's downtown Borders with her dog, Caravaggio. Starting Monday, patrons can no longer enter the store with non-service dogs.

Erica Hobbs | AnnArbor.com

After years of allowing dogs into its downtown branch, the Ann Arbor-based bookstore has decided to enforce its company-wide policy prohibiting pets from entering.

“We prioritize the safety and happiness of our customers,” Borders spokeswoman Mary Davis said. “We think that it’s important to put this particular store in line with our other stores, which currently only allow service dogs.”

General Manager Heather Quayle said the store received a number of complaints about the dogs, some of which she described as “nasty.”

Borders declined to specify the nature of the complaints. At least one was made to the Washtenaw County Environmental Health Division, according to Environmental Health Supervisor Kristen Schweighoefer.

“Because of the coffee shop, Borders is licensed as a food service establishment,” she said. “It’s no different than being able have a dog in a restaurant.”

Some Borders patrons said the new rule won't make much of a difference to them, but others expressed sadness about the new no-dog policy.

“I’m so not cool with that because I’m such an animal person,” Ann Arbor resident Carmen Samaniego said. “We allow dogs in our salon, and if (customers) don’t like them, they can go somewhere else.”

Ann Arbor resident Christine Cavedoni said she didn't mind dogs in the store if they were under control, but admitted the pets sometimes made her nervous.

“They’ve never disturbed me before,” she said. “But there’s always a chance of two dogs starting a fight. That kind of scares me.”

Quayle said the store had to do what's best for its customers as a whole.

“It’s a shame, but it’s probably for the best,” she said. “We have to consider everybody, not just the people who have dogs.”

Erica Hobbs is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at ericahobbs@annarbor.com or 734-623-2537.