Something I notice while traveling, especially on the west coast, is that people bring their dogs everywhere, and I mean everywhere. To every normal place, like the beach and the park, but also in stores, big and small, even in grocery stores, and restaurants, indoor and outdoor, and these dogs aren’t service dogs, these dogs are not marked with any medical needs, they are house pets.

I found this extremely interesting to see because, in Chicago, dogs are not welcomed in restaurants or in most public spaces. On the Chicago Park District website, there is a list of dog-friendly areas, and they all are parks–which is the same for the San Diego area. However, food code laws regarding dogs in restaurants, impose many restrictions, such as requiring dogs to wear a leash in these public spaces. Despite this, I noticed that this policy is not always enforced, even in indoor and non-patio restaurants.

I think that dogs should not be allowed in public spaces, especially in spaces such as restaurants and stores. Dogs can pose a health and safety risk for patrons and overall can be an irritation to customers, such as myself. I do not mean to say this to hate on dogs, I have a dog myself and bring her around outside, but I would never think about bringing her into a restaurant or store. People want to feel safe in establishments, and I am sure people wonder when dogs are in our spaces, if the dog will make them sick. They might have severe allergies towards haired animals, or maybe they are concerned about how a dog walking around freely is going to interrupt their dining experience.

Dogs also being allowed spaces where there are prepared meals can pose a food risk. Typically, dogs are not allowed in these places. For example, one time I saw a dog resting right next to the entrance of a full-service kitchen, which seemed unsafe to me. But bringing your own dog into these kinds of places puts employees and patrons in a sticky situation.

Even though I have these opinions, I am not the police. I am not going to call animal control on your dog if I see them out, even in spaces where maybe they shouldn’t be, but dog owners should have enough self-awareness and decency to know when and where they should have their dogs around.