Let me start out by stating that I am not a dog owner.  I like dogs, but I’m not in the “dog-lover” category.

That being stated – has Ms. Grady ever been to Europe where in most countries I’ve visited dogs are welcomed at many restaurants and cafes?  A well-behaved pooch isn’t an unwelcome site in these establishments.  I also question the assertion that dogs aren’t “clean” relative to their presence in an eating establishment. Where’s the scientific evidence?

Does a dog belong in a grocery cart?  Of course not — and I agree that a grocery store should be off limits for a lot of reasons not related to “clean” (but these do include poorly house-trained animals).

State and FDA regulations should be recognized, honored, and enforced; with that I can’t disagree.  But the argument ends there.  Poorly behaved animals, just like poorly behaved children, should not be forced on the rest of us, but it is unfortunate that a well-behaved “man’s best friend” can’t join that man for a friendly pint at the local pub.

Gordon Lewandowski