Set boundaries: Love your pets but respect public spaces

I would like to react to Mr. Reginald Tamayo’s letter (see “Restaurants should make room and provide tables for furbabies, too,” (10/08/25). While it was written very eloquently, to me, it reeked of entitlement.

Before I get bashed, let me explain. I grew up in an animal-loving family. We had dogs, cats, birds, chickens, and even a goat. Most beloved to us were our many dogs, from Kimchi the German shepherd to Chou the dachshund, and her six puppies. So loved were they that they slept on our beds, rode in our vehicles, went on trips, and basically got treated like babies of the family. We celebrated their birthdays and made them necklaces out of beads. And when they died, we grieved. We mourned our losses heavily—all this before owning a pet became as intense and over-the-top as it is now.

However, here comes the biting part, we knew where they belonged. My father would always remind us to be considerate of others. While in our home, we were free to do whatever we wanted, but in public, we were very mindful. Our pets stayed on the ground. We never brought them to restaurants except for one with a garden, owned by a friend, and with permission. We were far away from other diners, and they were always on a leash. We never allowed them near children and babies and waited for real pet lovers to engage them.

While consciousness for loving animals has improved, people have become inconsiderate and irrational. Comparing children to pets is a hot topic. As a parent, it is downright offensive to me when someone insinuates that restaurants accepting children are like perks or special services, like accommodating food allergies or ambiance. Children are people, just like you and me, and they are part of society. Pets should not be likened to them, nor should pet owners demand the same rights. This is ridiculous!

Moreover, some pet owners (or fur parents, as they are fashionably called nowadays), have gone beyond the line of common decency in public. They put their pets on dining tables and chairs, and even baby seats. There was a viral post where some fur parents were caught on camera using the baby changing table in a restroom to change their dog’s diaper. We’ve heard stories where some pet owners have their pets use the restaurant’s plates and bowls, the very same things people eat from. At malls, we can see dogs pooping on immaculate floors. Once, a very noisy chihuahua scratched my daughter’s leg at a restaurant, and the fur parents were very nonchalant about it. So do we still wonder why some restaurants do not allow pets?

The simplest concept is that food, animals, and public spaces do not mix well. Some people do not appreciate flying fur in their meals. Some people are not animal lovers. Some people have allergies. Babies, children, and the elderly can easily get sick from germs. Some people like quiet meals, not yapping dogs. These are hard-to-accept truths for pet lovers, but they are real. Unfortunately, people are less considerate nowadays, and manners seem to have diminished.

If we were to live in a civilized society, boundaries must be observed. We are free to love our pets in our own space. But let us restore respect and consideration for others when in public spaces.

Cara Mendez,

macarm82@yahoo.com