Leave Them at Home

We saw some crazy things on our vacation. I already mentioned the French Elvis Fan Club.

On one of our first couple of days there, we dropped by a local mall to pick up some sandals for S. I'd accidentally left hers back home. S was in her stroller as it was a big mall and I wasn't familiar with which exit and parking lot was closest to the store we needed.

At one point, we waited for the elevator to go upstairs. The elevator car arrived and before going in, we - of course - let the previous riders out. One woman exiting was pushing a nice stroller that looked like it had totally enclosed area for the rider. I thought this would be a good idea for avoiding bugs and such on outside walks, but didn't really understand it for inside a mall.

Then I looked more closely.

The occupant of the stroller wasn't a baby or small child. It was a dog.

Yes, I did say dog.

One of those little dogs that I call yip-yip dogs. Typically barky and shrill and jumpy. Ick. Thankfully this one was not barking.

I was fairly horrified, but tried to just move on. But then ten minutes later while walking back to the car, we saw a second yip-yip dog in such a stroller.

Granted, I am not a little dog person. I don't get this whole carrying little dogs around thing. But if that's someone else's thing - fine. I can even understand needing a stroller for an older or convalescing dog. But to go shopping? With your infantilized yip-yip dog?

Let me be very clear about this: non-service dogs do not belong in malls!!