I have heard a lot of people complain about people who bring their small dogs to the grocery store and put them in the child seat of a grocery cart. I understand why people object, but frankly, I think they are pretty wrong.
First of all, it's true that a lot of people abuse the system of service animals. But you know what? That system is in place for a reason. There are a lot of people who need to have their service animal with them at all times, and you can't look at someone's dog and judge whether or not it's a "real" service animal. It could be a seizure alert dog, or it could literally be the lifeline which allows someone with severe PTSD and/or agoraphobia to get out in the world.
Let's stop looking at people and judging their disabilities. Don't look at someone parking in a handicapped spot with a valid plate and say, "I don't think they are really handicapped!" And don't look at someone's service dog and say, "They are just lying in order to bring their dog into the store."
Disabilities are a real thing, and the full nature of a disability is not always obvious to onlookers.
With that aside, let me point out that babies and toddlers are none too clean, either. Most shopping carts are contaminated with fecal bacteria, and the leading theory is that the bacteria comes from babies with poopy diapers. Kids are gross, no two ways about it.
Assuming that a dog is quiet and well-behaved, frankly I don't see a problem. I have never seen a dog in a grocery store make a fuss, but I have certainly seen a lot of screaming children. Of course, if your kid starts screaming, you can't just leave them in the car with the window cracked. I get that.
Still though, let's lighten up on our dog friends! They are doing the best they can.
Image courtesy Flickr/Selbe B
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