Objections to "doggy bags"
By Michelle Tabatabai-ShahabCopy Editor, The VOICE
Dogs are considered a man's best friend, sometimes we like to take our best friends out to dinner, is that such a problem? Huge problem, as much as I love my dog, I don't think it would be sanitary for me to bring my dog to a restaurant, or grocery store, or any other place of business that includes food service.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) continually fights against the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about service animals in food service establishments.
I understand that even if you have a service animal that assists you with your disability you are defiantly entitled to bring the animal into a food service establishment. Where I do have a mild problem with service animals in service food establishments; my argument isn't about service dogs, it's about purse dogs.
You may take your dog to get groomed every morning, and then let it escort you around all day. But bring that dog into a restaurant and start feeding it table scrapes while I try to enjoy my food around the company of human beings, we've got problems. It is unsanitary for a dog that isn't providing a disability service to dine at a table indoors.
You may dress it up, paint its paws, tie a bow in its fur, roll it around in a stroller and call it baby, but your dog is not a baby. It's a dog, though it could only be a 5 pound of dog, it's still in the family of a Saint Bernard. A dog is a companion, but it's not a dinner date.
If you have such a difficult time leaving your lap dog at home, or in a pet hotel, or in doggy daycare for that matter, then maybe you should cook at home or take a grocery store up on an online shopping session, where you make a list of the items you need and the store will find exactly the products you desire, including bulk items, and then deliver them to your doorstep.
Offered by Safeway at http://shop.safeway.com/offers/swy/default6.asp?PRMX_GOOG_DELIVER_0703&SR=sr2OG6go35sb4pi2ai1.
Offered by Albertsons at https://shop.albertsons.com/eCommerceWeb/LandingPageAction.do?action=zipCheck.
Or you can try independent online grocery shoppers like http://www.netgrocer.com/ in order to avoid public scrutiny and comments about the unsanitary manner of invited your non-service dog to shop with you.
Please send comments to mtabatabaishahab@gccvoice.com
