Dog Fight

We went over to the Mission Viejo Mall this afternoon and came across a curious sight. Down at one end of the mall was a table with a couple of folks who had a number of big signs declaring that we should all "Boycott BarkWorks", and something to do with puppy mills. I had no idea what BarkWorks was, and in nearly 20 years of going to this mall could never remember seeing any sort of protest allowed within the mall. There have been various charity type events set up in there, but never anything of a protest nature.

I didn't pay them that much attention and didn't read their materials, so I have no idea of the righteousness of their cause.

As we were leaving the mall through an exit in another area I saw BarkWorks. It's a pet store in the mall that I hadn't noticed before. There were no protesters down there, but seeing the store really got me thinking. I can't imagine the mall allowing protesters to set up a table in their facility telling customers not to patronize one of their tenants. If I was BarkWorks' lawyer, I'd be having a very serious conversation with the mall manager or the parent company right about now.

Maybe they're having some sort of dispute with the store and figure this is a good way to get rid of them, but boy, the mall management sure seems to be opening themselves up to some serious liability. Given that this mall does not have a history of allowing activists to set up shop in their aisles, I think they may be treading on dangerous ground.