Dogs Should Be Welcome Everywhere

A mini-manifesto (with dog pictures)

Lucy joining me at a yoga class in Puglia. There were two other dogs there as well.

Lately, I’ve noticed a backlash on social media, with many complaining that people have begun “bringing their dogs everywhere” in the United States.

“Why can’t you just leave your dog at home?” they demand to know.

Sir, what happened to you? is what I want to ask. What darkness lives in your heart that makes seeing the most perfect creature in existence in a coffee shop upsetting to you?

I’d like to know how the presence of a dog infringes on their social experience. There are often claims that dogs are unclean or disruptive, but I think they have confused dogs with babies and small children, who we very much welcome into our public spaces, as we should. Dogs are far less likely to scream at the top of their lungs or give you the flu, for example.

But the part I find so galling is that the United States is generally not very hospitable to dogs, so to issue this sort of complaint is to be bothered by the rare establishment that opens their doors (and hearts) to our furry family members.