How do you handle guests who “didn’t see” the no pets rule?

We had a guest a few weeks ago show up with a dog completely unannounced. The listing clearly says no pets allowed (like it’s in bold in multiple spots). Their response? “Oh, I must’ve missed that.” Right...

I was out of town, so my virtual assistant, who’s been working with me for a while now caught it right away during the check in convo. She flagged it and asked how we wanted to handle it. In this case, we politely but firmly stuck to the policy and helped them find a nearby pet friendly option. Not the most fun convo, but it actually went over smoother than expected.

Curious how other hosts or managers handle this. Do you stick to your policies no matter what, or take it case by case? Ever had to turn someone away? Or do you find yourself making exceptions more often than you planned?