The Oregonian reports that the state’s Department of Agriculture has begun a public awareness campaign to remind both retailers and shoppers that there is a law against people bringing their dogs into the supermarket.
According to the story, there has been a growing trend toward people bringing their dogs to previously off-limits places – ranging from hotels to brewpubs – as pets are perceived by some as being members of the family rather than as, well, pets.
According to the story, “Dogs stand accused of urinating in aisles, licking meat packages, sniffing food items. Every once in a while, a complaint involves a snake around someone's neck or a rabbit carried in a purse, but canines are the primary offenders.”
Vance Bybee of the state Department of Agriculture says that “interestingly enough, we get more complaints in Bend and in the Pearl District of Portland where people are more affluent and have the opportunity to pamper their pets and feel this pet is a part of my family so I am entitled to do with it what I like."
According to the story, there has been a growing trend toward people bringing their dogs to previously off-limits places – ranging from hotels to brewpubs – as pets are perceived by some as being members of the family rather than as, well, pets.
According to the story, “Dogs stand accused of urinating in aisles, licking meat packages, sniffing food items. Every once in a while, a complaint involves a snake around someone's neck or a rabbit carried in a purse, but canines are the primary offenders.”
Vance Bybee of the state Department of Agriculture says that “interestingly enough, we get more complaints in Bend and in the Pearl District of Portland where people are more affluent and have the opportunity to pamper their pets and feel this pet is a part of my family so I am entitled to do with it what I like."
- KC's View:
- This is the whole “pet parents” vs. “pet owners” debate. I fall firmly into the latter category – though I love my yellow lab, Buffett (natch!), there simply are places she should not go. So I’m sympathetic to the regulators up in Oregon who want to keep certain boundaries in place.
