Pushing the Boundaries
It’s disconcerting to realize the beady black eyes staring at you over the produce isle at the grocery store belong to the chihuahua sitting in the grocery store basket, disconcerting and downright maddening. It would be pushing it to say that it’s a service animal, though I’m sure its owner would disagree. Pet owners love their animals, but to bring them into grocery stores and restaurants is a bad judgement call, but that doesn’t seem to stop them from pushing the “no pets allowed” boundaries. There’s a reason animals are not allowed in places that serve or sell food - animals carry bacteria and parasites that can make people sick. It’s bad enough having to deal with the bacteria that people transmit from person to person! Restaurant and store owners should confront the offending pet owners and ask them to remove the animal from the premises, but many are worried about alienating a customer. What these merchants might be surprised to learn is that the other customers in the store or restaurant would probably give them a standing ovation. Sadly, these over the top pet owners have made it increasingly difficult for people with legitimate service animals to enter stores without feeling animosity from their fellow shoppers.