What is it about people who think it is OK to bring a dog into a grocery store or a restaurant?  The better question might be, why doesn’t anyone object?  While I love my own dog —  a tiny elderly mini-Dachshund — I do not,  would not, take him into a grocery or restaurant. And why? It is prohibited by the Washington State Retail Food Code, based on the 2009 edition of the FDA Food Code (See Sec. 6-501.115 Prohibiting Animals).

We have all seen them. From extremely large dogs whose mere presence can make people wary to small dogs whose owners actually place them in the shopping cart.

Of course we are not talking here about legitimate companion animals.  Yet we don’t really know who is legit unless the animal wears a vest. And no one wants to ask for proof.

So how did it become  acceptable to bring a dog into a place where cleanliness is paramount?  It seems that people who bring unauthorized pets in the store are either oblivious, entitled  or don’t care.  Why should they? No one says anything.

It seems that disbelief has morphed into grim acceptance.  It is up to the rest of us to use those sanitary wipes inside the door to make sure our cart is clean.

Why don’t store managers or employees — no doubt themselves incredulous that people behave this way — confront these scofflaws. Grocery stores and restaruants have reams of regulation they must follow to ensure the food sold  in their stores is safe. So why put those efforts at risk?  We understand their reluctance to offend shoppers —  but what about the rest of us — what about our needs or our preferences?

The world these days is all about acceptance. A (mostly) good thing.  However, personal preference should not take precedence over rules designed to keep our food and our families safe.