The first episode in Kinko's involved a wandering, but friendly, German Shepherd. The second was more troubling and highlights why there are laws excluding dogs from public buildings. Like other people entering the Kinko's, I encountered a growling, turf protecting Rottweiler. After he turned his attention to the person behind me, I approached the counter and asked the clerk what the dog was doing there. He said it belonged to a customer. I said that unless it was an authorized assistance dog that did not matter. The fellow looked uncomfortable. The dog continued to guard the door, his behavior escalating to barking and leaping at people entering. After several complaints, the timid clerk finally got up the nerve to ask the dog's owner, a pony-tailed, granola eating man in his 30s, to take the dog outside. The customer, typing away on his laptop, pointedly ignored the clerk, who looked like he was going to cry. I intervened. I once worked on a civil suit in which a Rottweiler had literally ripped a man's neck open, leaving him partly paralyzed. I told that anecdote. Afterward, I noted that if the next person to enter was of small stature, a child or someone with a baby, the situation was going to go from bad to worse. It was our responsibility not to allow that to happen. Either Granola Guy was going to take the dog outside or the police were going to be called. We finally got results. Though the man never acknowledged our existence, he took the Rottweiler outside. Visitors to the Kinko's still had to find their way around a dangerous dog, but at least it was not inside the building.
The situation ended well, considering the utter lack of interest in the welfare of other people the owner of the dog expressed. I don't have any friends or acquaintances who are so self-centered they refuse to consider that dogs who are lovable companions to them are nuisances, or even dangers, to others, that I know of. If I discover I know someone who has been imposing his pet on other people in public buildings, I will give him a good talking to. I hope you will do the same.
Note: This entry also appeared at Mac-a-ro-nies.
Article comments
1 - Chris Kent
Interesting post MD.
I live in a warehouse loft downtown and it appears I am the only resident without a large pet dog of some kind. Many of my neighbors are women, and suspect the reason they have such large canines is because they feel safe - it being an urban downtown area with masked burglars around every corner and all. But a few things piss me off about my warehouse of dogs. They pee on the elevator, they shit on the sidewalk and they howl at night when an ambulance drives by.
After repeated complaints to the warehouse owner, the dog owners have finally started to clean up after their overly-excited pets. I still step lightly, needless-to-say.
My sister is an obsessive dog owner and once mourned for several weeks after the death of her beloved Doberman. It is a connection I cannot relate to, though I did have four dogs growing up, and will occasionally miss them (they have all gone to Dog Heaven, one would assume).......Anyway, there is nothing quite as eccentric as a dog owner, and when it comes to urban areas, I cannot think of a worse area to try and keep a large dog.....
2 - Roland
I find this problem all over. When I had to go a Cali office the people brought their dogs to work and one was a very protective Lab. Eventually he attacked someone. I just feel that people have been socialized to regard dogs as being equal to a 5 yrear old child rather than a domesticated animal. I know a lot of people that have dogs and compare them to my sons, which I hate!
3 - jack e. jett
we have two dogs that we think of as our children, so i am sure you would hate me too. we find it is an unconditinal love that is tough to find.
i understand where you are coming from though. i see people with their five year olds, and the kids are running screaming and are far more amusing to the parents than those surrounding them.
jack