The Angry Jew

The rantings of an Angry Jew in The Pacific Northwest

I am a dog lover.

Always have been.

As a kid, I was cursed by parents who believed small dogs were the answer to a families need for canine affection.  My childhood friends were a Lahsa Apso and a Shitzu.

Once I was out on my own, my first dog was a boxer named Gunner.  After he passed, The X and I picked up a black lab pup who we named Jake and a few months later, another lab pup, Sarah, joined our family.  We treated them like the kids we did not have and in return, we got unconditional love.

Now, they both live with The X, who is better equipped to care for them and I live my days dog less.  Ask anyone, I can’t walk past a dog without stopping by for a little loving.  Nothing makes me smile like getting a few face licks in the morning.

Now, I want all of you reading this to keep these facts in mind while I pass on this little message to all my fellow dog lovers here in the great state of Oregon, where we love our four legged friends like no other state in the union.  We have dog friendly coffee shops, pet parades, one of our best brew pubs, The Lucky Lab, has pet friendly seating and their are hundreds of dog parks located through out the state.

So, it may be hard to believe I have to say this, but,

KEEP YOUR DAMN MUTTS OUT OF THE GROCERY STORE.

It boggles my mind that there had to be a front page article in today’s Oregonian to remind dog owners that while they may treat there dogs as children, they have no business being where food products are sold.

It turns out that dogs in grocery stores is the number one complaint received by The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Division.

Not surprisingly, most of these complaints come from the more affluent portions of our state, such as Portland’s Pearl District and resort towns such as Bend.  Once again, the more money than brains crowd is heard from.

Shocking, huh?

The rules are pretty simple.  Guide dogs are permitted pretty much everywhere, as well they should be.  What I am talking about is so called “Companion” dogs.  Somebody gets their shrink to prescribe a peek a poo or puggle, don’t get me started on designer breeds, to help them deal with anxiety or stress.

Fine, have at it, but consider this.

If you can’t get through a half hour of food shopping without a Chihuahua in your cart, you have got bigger problems then not wanting to leave Fido alone for the time it takes for you fill the pantry.

Yes, you have the right to have a pet to fill the empty hours of your life.  You can join your fellow Americans in spending the $41 Billion dollars that the pet care industry rakes in every year.  I don’t care.

But when I find dog hair on my steak or slip in a puddle of your “Precious” piss while reaching for a box of dryer sheets, believe me, your going to hear about it.