Top 10 Places People Don’t Want to See Your Dog, Ranked - VICE

Dog people assume everyone wants to meet their dog. A good chunk of America would rather they didn’t.

A Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans asked where people would be irritated to see someone else’s pet. Restaurants topped the list, with 48% saying a dog nearby while eating would bother them. Grocery stores came in second at 45%, followed by doctors’ offices and hospitals at 39%.

Baby boomers were especially particular about where dogs belong. They were twice as likely as Gen Z respondents to object to pets on airplanes (32% versus 16%) and nearly three times as likely to mind them at stadiums (33% versus 13%). 

Pet dogs generally aren’t allowed inside restaurants in the first place. The FDA’s Food Code permits service animals indoors and allows pet dogs on outdoor patios under certain conditions, provided state and local rules permit it.

Airlines have rules about this, too. Under a 2020 Department of Transportation rule, carriers no longer have to recognize emotional support animals as service animals. Trained service dogs receive different protections, while other pets have to follow the airline’s usual policies, including any fees.

Some of these, though, are a hard no from me. No dogs in hotels? Where are pet owners supposed to stay on road trips? And people who don’t like dogs on beaches can get right on outta here. Sure, we can have some designated hours, but I’ve never seen a happier dog than mine running at full sprint down an empty stretch of beach.

There’s room for a little common sense here. No one needs your dog wandering around the grocery store or sniffing someone’s dinner. But a pet-friendly hotel or a beach where dogs are allowed? Bring a poop bag and have some spatial awareness. What happened to dogs being family?