A glance at the online version of New York Times Thursday (yes, while I was at work; things were slow) led me to this article about the dog-friendly culture in Portland, OR, being a little too dog friendly. It focuses on the tension caused by dogs accompanying their owners into grocery stores and other food venues. Here's a snippet:
"In the last year, the food safety division of the Oregon Agriculture Department has received more than 600 complaints about animals in food stores, and a disproportionate number of them have come from the Pearl District of Portland, an affluent, dog-passionate procession of newer condominiums and shiny retail shops at the edge of downtown. Whole Foods has had complaints; the Safeway a few blocks away has had even more.
'Usually they’ll hold off and not make a complaint until they’ve seen a dog urinate in the grocery store or jump up and try to swipe a pack of meat,” said Vance Bybee, the head of the food safety division. “Or they’ve seen dogs pooping in the aisle, that sort of thing. That sort of puts them over the edge,' Mr. Bybee said."
Hmm. Pooping in the dairy section gives new meaning to the phrase "Pick up in Aisle 3!" Still, dog lover that I am, I don't think I want to step in a pile while shopping for arugula. (Hey, those produce bags are excellent for pick-up, remember?) -z
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