EDITOR:
A recent issue of The Guardian boasted, on the front page, no less, of a summer initiative to encourage local businesses to allow dogs in stores and out of hot cars. Well I have a better idea: leave the dogs home. Let them romp in the yard; hire a dog sitter if necessary.
In the first place, dogs in cars, in one's lap, in one’s face, bouncing around, are every bit as irresponsible, dangerous and deadly as texting while driving. Read about it. Google - are dogs loose in cars safe?
Dogs have no place in stores. The other day in Walmart, here was a dog sitting in the child's seat of a shopping cart. Five minutes later someone is either putting their infant in that seat or setting their vegetables there. It is completely unsanitary. Are there no health inspectors monitoring this?
Here's another Google. Fully a third of all dogs have cancer; 50 per cent of older dogs die from cancer. Dogs have no place in stores when it is well known they harbour these rates of disease.
I have seen store employees stop what they are doing to cuddle, pet, and kiss some adorable dog and then go right back handling the products we buy.
Dogs have no place in stores, nor in hot cars. Leave them home. Think how glad they will be to see you when you get back from your errands.
Roy Webster,
Anglo Rustico
