While gazing out the window of Peet's this afternoon, I noticed a little dog sitting outside in the rain waiting for his owner to come back out.  There was no shelter for him, and I wish I'd had my camera because I never saw such a forlorn sight as that wet little dog.  It got me to thinking: Where can dogs go with their people on miserable days like we've had lately?  All the parks are sodden, including the dog parks, and who but the hardiest of dog walkers will brave storms like these?  

Yesterday afternoon, with Peaches and Beau having gone stir crazy penned up in the house all day, we decided to take them for a ride.  We thought we'd take them to one of the elementary schools nearby, where the covered corridors provide some protection from the weather, but school was still in session.  We even thought of going to Home Depot, where people sometimes take their dogs inside with them, but I worried that they'd need a cleanup in one of their aisles if Beau made a mess.  Then I thought of PetSmart.  At least they could go inside with us and no one could complain.  The only trouble was that after we drove all the way down to the store on Watt Avenue, I realized I had forgotten to bring along their leashes.  So much for walking the dogs on a rainy day, but at least they got out for a joy ride in the car.

When we traveled in England, it was common to see dogs in the pubs, where food and drink is served.  No one ever contracted any dreaded "zoonoses."  In Holland, I saw cats lounging in restaurant windows as bold as you please.  I've noticed that dogs are slipping into some Sacramento establishments with their owners without being ejected, and I have observed that Davis seems to be more relaxed about dogs in their midst.  Not all of them are service dogs, either.  I wish our city would stop worrying about who let the dogs in!