Owner Asks if Service Dog Can Get Costco Member Card—Result Is Everything - Newsweek

Oct 18, 2024

As a membership-only retail store, Costco requires people to scan a card before entering, and although it isn't needed for service dogs, one handler thought her canine also needed one.

Rambo, a service poodle, is no stranger to visiting Costco. He goes with his handler while she shops, but not for a casual stroll; he is constantly on duty as a cardiac alert dog. These service dogs are trained to detect anomalies in heartbeats and blood pressure changes. If there is a sudden change, they alert their owners, as stated in an article from Service Dog Certifications. They assist during and after by providing crucial support.

It was another Costco outing for Rambo and his owner. However, this time, they went to the customer service desk to renew their membership. That's when a brilliant idea popped into the owner's mind: Rambo needs his own membership card.

She asked the Costco employees if her service dog could also get a membership card, and they agreed without hesitation. In the August 31 TikTok video posted to the account @rambo_theservicepoodle, Rambo sat front and center, posing for the camera. He knew it was his time to shine and finally become an "official Costco member."

Rambo beat the system, too—the employees gave him the card for free. It must have been his adorableness that got him the free price.

After receiving the card, the owner and Rambo returned to the front to double-check it worked. She scanned his card at the kiosk where you check in, and, low and behold, his image popped up on the screen.

Unknowingly, the owner thinks she might have started a trend for service dogs. The owner told Newsweek via TikTok: "Others have mentioned next time they visit the store, they will do it too."

Newsweek reached out to Costco for comment.

The TikTok video amassed 417,00 views, 67,400 likes and 372 comments as of Wednesday.

"He is so handsome and now can buy his own hotdog at the cafe," commented a viewer.

"The way he was looking around like, 'I get to have my own membership? You really mean it mom?'" another commenter wrote.

"The employees have been waiting to make a doggo membership and you made it a core memory for them," a third person commented.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

Liz O'Connell is a Newsweek Reporter based in North Carolina. Her focus is on pet news and videos. Liz joined Newsweek in 2023 and had previously worked at PetHelpful.com, the Charlotte Business Journal, and The Anson Record. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona.

Languages: English.

You can get in touch with Liz by emailing [email protected].

Liz O'Connell is a Newsweek Reporter based in North Carolina. Her focus is on pet news and videos. Liz joined ...Read more