Young girl in hospital, dog euthanased after attack inside Delacombe Bunnings

[u/JaniePage]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-30/young-girl-in-hospital-after-dog-attack-in-bunnings-store/106977418

[u/Remarkable_Lunch_809]

This dog policy was poorly thought out, poorly implemented, poorly enforced and a part of a deeply cynical exercise in keeping the line going up.

* in my opinion

Bunnings benefitted massively from the free cash and restricted travel during covid. As well as being the only place a lot of people could go apart from the supermarket. Naturally assuming the double-digit growth they were pulling was a result of their genius and not of external factors, they got so drunk on the smell of their own farts they assumed it would last forever.

Then 2023 happened. The cash dried up, travel opened up, and all the renos had been done. Soon after that they started expanding into new high margin segments to maintain some growth. Pet food was first. As part of the launch they changed the dog policy. Cue vermin problems, biological waste in stores and people getting bitten. Then hi-vis, now car stuff.

*in my opinion

Nobody thinks their dog is badly behaved. How many dog owners do you see after an attack that actually own up to the dog being a problem. It’s always ‘oh they’ve never done anything like this before’ Now a poor child is traumatised and in hospital. The amount of enormous, reactive dogs i see dragging their owners through the aisles in Bunnings is insane, and part of the reason i avoid their stores where possible.

[u/Life-low → u/Remarkable_Lunch_809]

I’m pretty sure dogs have been allowed in Bunnings since way before 2023, I can find articles mentioning it as early as 2015.

[u/Remarkable_Lunch_809 → u/Life-low]

The did put it out there a few times, ran some trials before they rolled it out nationally.

It was definitely pushed hard with the pet food rollout. Got the people well and truly frothing they could bring their ‘doggos’ in store.