BOCA RUDETON: NEW YEAR! SAME SELF-ABSORPTION!
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — If you thought the end of 2025 and the start of 2026 would lead to smarter people who are less selfish and entitled in Palm Beach County, you’d be wrong. The arguably crazy folks who believe it’s okay to bring their pets anywhere and everywhere are still out and about — parading their pooches as if to say: “I am important, entitled, and can do whatever I want.” As it turns out, you can’t. And we do wonder if any of these folks are visiting from other places and may have mispresented the abilities of their dogs to airlines. Telling an airline that your dog is a service animal when it isn’t is a federal crime. Just sayin’.
We start our first Boca Rudeton of 2026 with this: A woman with a dog at Bedner’s on Saturday. Bedner’s, of course, is a farmers market where produce is out in the open. It’s no place for a dog — and it’s actually against the law for that dog to be in the market.
At Carvel Ice Cream in Boca Raton, we have to wonder why this dog is in the facility. Again, dogs are not allowed in restaurants unless the dog is a service animal that performs a life saving function. We’re sure this dog will save you from the attack of Fudgie The Whale.
At Publix at Clint Moore and U.S. 441 in West Boca Raton, our tipster says that what we are seeing in the photo is just a second of how this dog behaved. Dogs are BANNED in Publix locations — signs make it extremely clear. But this woman in a vest — ’cause you gotta wear a vest when it’s 65 outside — apparently thought it was just fine to do whatever she wanted to do. It’s not. And we wonder if she’ll be identified and perhaps cited. If you know who she is, drop us a note.
Let’s take a moment to read together the signs that are inside and outside Publix locations in Florida. All together now. “NO.” “PETS.” “ALLOWED.” When you read the sign as a sentence, it should sound something like, “NO PETS ALLOWED.” If anyone is confused, please reach out to us here at BocaNewsNow.com, the “Reading Is Fundamental” foundation, or “Schoolastic” which still supports education.
Let’s also take a moment to remember Florida law, courtesy of our friends at LaBamba in Delray Beach — where this sign explains it all in simple terms.
Let’s head to Sprouts in Delray Beach, where we remind you that several mental health provider organizations and companies now provide help online. Use promo code “I need my animals everywhere” for a discount.
At Costco in Boca Raton, our tipster wants to know what kind of service this dog provides. We have no idea, unless it’s sniffing out bulk discounts for women buying wine and champagne, four bottles at a time.
If anything says “health and wellness” better than a dog in CVS at Military and Clint Moore Road, we don’t know what it would be. Definitely you should bring your dog into a place where people go when they are sick, don’t feel well, or generally just need medication. Way to go lady! And we love the vest seems to suggest this is some sort of legit service animal. We use Amazon, too.
If there’s one thing we know about Boca Raton, it’s that Boca loves bagels. And what is better than a bagel with a side of dog hair? That’s why Long Island Bagels is loved by so many in so many places. New York has an all-out ban on animals in restaurants and supermarkets, but at Long Island Bagel with locations here and in New York, you can apparently do whatever you want. Yay!
Your eyes are not deceiving you. That is a huge dog in Sadelle’s in Boca Raton (501 East Camino Real – in “The Boca Raton”). What rhymes with Sadelle? Hell! As in “What the Hell is this dog doing in Sadelle’s?” We don’t know. But we wonder if the Florida Department of Health can identify these people and the manager on duty when they were in the restaurant.
Can you see it? Can you see the dog in the woman’s bag in the Publix in Boynton Beach at Military and Woolbright. Yes, our tipster suggests that this woman was trying to hide her dog in the supermarket where it is absolutely not permitted, but it seems got caught by our eagle eyed snapshotter. We see you! We really do!
God love Joseph’s Italian Market at Atlantic and Lyons in West Delray Beach. It’s often a parade of animals — violating Florida statutes. Our tipster here wants to know why this guy has the animal in the store. We don’t know. We are shaking our head with you.
When you think fine food in Boca Raton, you not doubt think Chipotle. And you no doubt think it’s a clean, sanitary, and animal-free environment to consumer your chips and burritos. Yup.
And at Palm Beach Bagel in Boca Raton, we have what may be a person in disguise carrying a dog. The hair is legal. The dog is not.
So who is our first Boca Rudeton winner for 2026? Our year started with huge competition. Our judges crunched the numbers, read the rules, went back and crunched the numbers again, and came to this decision: the woman with the dog jumping at the food in Publix perfectly represents what Boca Rudeton is all about. She’s awesome!
She wins this trophy courtesy of BocaNewsNow.com and Google Gemini which — as always — nailed design. Congrations ma’am! You rock!
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I am of the opinion that the only way to stop people from bringing their dogs into restaurants, delis, and grocery stores is to start holding the establishments that allow them in accountable.
I was at Target on Hagen Ranch Road and Boynton Beach Blvd. in Boynton Beach. In front of me at the checkout was a woman who had a dog on a leash on the floor. I asked the cashier why the woman was allowed in the store when there was a sign on the door prohibiting animals. She just shook her head and said management did not allow them to say anything. I think that’s the crux of the problem. Fear of confrontation results in acceptance of behavior that is at best bad, and at worst a violation of law. Without managerial and corporate backup of the law, all the articles and photos mean nothing. As children, we are taught consequence of action. These hugely entitled people were apparently out of the room when that lesson was taught.
What is with the huge Star of David doing in the Carvel photo!!! You are perpetuating anti semitism. You are the king of Rude!
Uh… how is a holiday decoration supporting a Jewish holiday actually antisemitism?
Just maybe the dog was in the same line of view as the star. If it was a Christmas
tree would people consider it anti- Christian? What a silly comment to make!
Where are the health inspectors? Where is the county in all of this? You write about the same stores over and over again isn’t anyone listening?
Dogs in strollers. Dogs in handbags. Such a shame that humans have turned some canine breeds into ugly, scruffy fashion accessories carried by women who are human Botox pin cushions.
The stores should not only be fined, but per the regulations the store should be closed and have to be sanitized the loss of one day’s business or more will get the attention of corporate really fast and then they will see to it at the rules are followed. I mean these people are just flat out blatant. They have nothing on the Animal that indicates it’s even a service animal so they should be fine as well. If the public doesn’t like the law they could vote to have it changed don’t see that anytime in the near future.
I agree with Irwin. Where is the Palm Beach County health department in all this?
I too, have asked servers and cashiers, and then their managers, why they allow pets in restaurants and food markets. Their responses are all the same. They are not allowed to ask patrons if their animals are service animals.
All these establishments post the law, but no one enforces it.
Actually a representative of the establishment has the right (and I believe responsibility) to ask the two permitted questions.
When it is not clear that a dog is a service animal, staff may ask:
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
If they lie, they could be arrested and fined up to $500.
The stores allow the dogs in because they’re afraid the customers won’t patronize their establishment! I agree that the stores need to be held accountable!
I agree with those in favor of fines and business closures. Where is the county Health Department? Just another reason why Florida is not a desirable state to live in.
I was in Whole Foods in Boynton Beach, Hagen Ranch Road and Boynton Beach Boluvard. Two people were walking around with dogs. I asked customer service if they allow dogs. They told me that they were service animals. They were not wearing vests or anything to indicate this. They were actually barking at each other. They said that they weren’t allowed to ask about the dogs. I said that I’ll have my dog with me next time I come in!
I was just at Whole Foods in Delray and the lovely young man helping everyone at the Self Checkout area couldn’t have been nicer. But he was telling the person next to me with their(non service) dog what a wonderful dog it is etc etc…So it’s clearly not his fault but the management people of the store with the No Pets sign needs to somehow enforce the sign!!!!
I agree where is law enforcement
It’s out of control
Fines are the only way to stop it. Everyday there is more and more people who think it is ok.
I find it odd that people are ok with having a dog in a home, where they eat, sleep and hang out, but they are aghast if the same exact thing happens at a grocery store, mall, etc. I guess all the posters here do not have pets of any kind?
No one will say anything to these RUDE, Self-Centered people who believe they are above the law and can NOT be held accountable for ANYTHNG!
Sound Familiar?????
And the icing on the cake, “Open Carry is now LEGAL in FL”.
What could go wrong???????
What if you pepper spray the dog and owner because you feared being bit!
Instead of taking pictures, perhaps we should call the police?
A few 911 calls will change this quickly.
I decided to stop into LIBC to check it out. There was a dog with its paws on the counter. I commented to the fellow behind the counter who seemed to be management and his answer was that the state law doesn’t allow him to say anything to the customer.
I will NEVER go back to that store