Dogs in Stores Rant

I make no secret of the fact that I'm not a "dog person." The last place I want to be accosted by one is in the store.

While at Walmart (Beltway 8 & Wallisville), I had the experience of watching someones off leash dog go up to everyone in a aisle (including myself) and literally try to stick its nose in everyone's crotch and sniff. While the owner looked on like a proud parent, the rest of us weren't amused. When something was said to the owner, she literally threw a hissy fit and said loudly that her dog has just as much of a right to be in the store as anyone else. Eventually, she stormed off.

While in HEB (Beltway 8 & Lake Houston), a woman walked in with two poodle like dogs. You would think she had the store confused as a dog park. I watched this woman allow her dogs to touch whatever it pleased while barking at everyone who passed by. I had my daughter with me who is afraid of dogs so I went up to the closest worker I found. There's signage around the front that unless they're service dogs, your family pet isn't allowed in the store. I was told by the worker that they stopped saying anything to customers with pets because it caused huge scenes when confronted. Not even two minutes after this conversation, a man walks in with a corgi that licked everything in its sight. Another person walks in with a shih tzu barking and whining.

This is beyond ridiculous. I don't know what more can be done at this point. What will it take? Someone getting mauled to death in aisle 12 because you couldn't leave your precious Fido at home due to its separation anxiety causing you to come back home to a torn up house? Or the fact that people have allergies, a fear or just flat out don't like dogs and would prefer not to see your "fur baby" sitting its bare ass in the basket where my produce and hygienic products belong. Enough is enough.