I have a dog and I love her to death. She greets me when I return from the office at the end of a long day with love and kisses and, I swear, a big smile on her face. She keeps me company when I do yard work, cuddles with me while I watch television and she gives me kisses (licks!) entirely too often. She's a wonderful "animal companion", "domesticated animal" and "house pet".
With few exceptions, I always walk her on a leash both because we have leash laws in our community and because she's so black that I can't see her at night. One exception occurs each afternoon when I get home from the office. As soon as the door to her playroom is opened, she runs as fast as her short little legs will carry her down the driveway toward the mailbox. But then hurries back to me to "give me sugars"!
I would love to bring her with me everywhere that I go. But, there are many places where it is simply inappropriate to bring an animal. In my opinion, one such place is a supermarket. In fact, in many communities it is against local ordinances to bring a pet into a grocery store.
Several times in recent weeks I've seen people with dogs in the supermarket. They, clearly, were not "service animals" … they were foofy little puffballs that "mommy" didn't want to leave at home or in the hot car. Some were on leashes, others were carried and one was actually riding in the child seat in the front of the buggy where countless babies and their accompanying germs have ridden before.
I like to think that grocery stores are clean and sanitary. I watch employees scrub and hose the produce section, the butcher is constantly working to keep his area clean and the seafood guys have really got their work cut out for them. But all of the effort to keep the store clean to insure that quality healthy merchandise is on display is negated when an animal comes through the door. They have germs … animal germs … and they lick things, and they step in things and they chew things and they slobber. In the store … where you buy your food.
Yes, they're members of our families. But they're members of our families that should, generally, be left at home. Both for their safety and in consideration of others I believe that animals should not be allowed in supermarket. Today it's a foofy little puffball but tomorrow it could be a boa constrictor, a monkey or a skunk. The supermarket is no place for animals.
Do you bring your pet with you when you shop for groceries?
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