Dogs don't belong at grocery stores

On a recent trip to Wal-Mart on 32nd Street, upon parking my vehicle, I noticed that the vehicle parked next to me had two dogs inside, one being a red golden retriever, and the other being a smaller, unknown breed dog. The rear windows were open on the vehicle, providing the dogs with fresh air, yet covered with cages, preventing the dogs from getting out of the vehicle. However, the cage didn't stop the dog from noticing me getting out of the vehicle, as the golden retriever began to relentlessly bark and growl at me. I proceeded to get my sleeping infant out of the back of my truck, while the dog continued to bark at my mere presence in the parking lot. Needless to say, my child wasn't asleep much longer upon getting out of my vehicle.

While I was not angry at the dog for barking, as it is their main form of communication, I became a bit irritated with the dog owner for leaving their animals in the car while they were doing their shopping. As I walked into Wal-Mart toward the customer service desk, I noticed another dog owner carrying their small breed canine through the store. At that time, it occurred to me that this whole dog toting lifestyle is getting a little out of control.

Not only are more and more stores posting signs that say “Service Dogs Only,” but more and more people are choosing to ignore those posted signs. A short walk through the Foothills location of Fry's will exhibit how people place their small dogs in the same baskets that I put my child in while food shopping, and even at times my produce. Last time I looked, Fry's was a food store, not a pet store, and the shopping carts are a convenience for shoppers, not for people to place their dogs in while food shopping. Not only is it unsanitary, but it's a little discriminatory. In discriminatory, I mean that I am sure that I would be asked to remove my 100-pound Rottweiler from a shopping cart if I brought it into Fry's, yet no one seems to say anything to purse dog owners. Granted, the type of dog I own is considered an aggressive dog, but a dog is a dog no matter how big or small. If it says “Service Dogs Only,” that doesn't mean your teacup Yorkie is allowed in the store because you can hide it in your purse.

I am all about owning a dog and welcoming furry friends into your family and home. However, there is a place for dogs at your home, not in supermarkets, or left in your vehicle while you are shopping. I know how dogs love to go for rides, but something tells me that they are not interested in sitting in your vehicle in a parking lot while you shop. This is evident by their incessant barking when people walk past your vehicle.

Moral of the story: Please leave your dog at home. If you really think they want to go shopping, take them to your local pet store, and not a supermarket.

Just in case you were wondering, when I left Wal-Mart about 20 minutes later, the same white Subaru with the two dogs was still parked next to me, and the golden retriever acknowledged my presence by again barking incessantly.

K.M. Johnson
Yuma