So…are we all agreed that dogs shouldn’t be left in cars in the (approaching 30°) summer sun for 1+ hours?
I was doing a Facebook marketplace pickup at 3pm on Sunday outside of The Doghouse. It was super hot out, and even though I had had my AC running the whole way there, I had to get out of the car to wait under a tree nearby after maybe two minutes, because it became too hot in the car.
I (very cautiously and politely) questioned a couple who looked like they were leaving their dog in their SUV and heading in to eat (SUV was not in the shade, no a/c running, back windows cracked).
It didn’t go well. I kept my cool the whole time throughout this whole encounter (I work retail lol, you learn after a few decades not to escalate things with crazy). The guy immediately got in my face and became extremely threatening. I am a 50yo woman. He was a taller guy, maybe around the same age (if I had a nickel for every Gen X man I’ve met with an explosive temper, I’d have enough to buy a Big Mac (so, a lot).
My partner did not keep his cool when he came out of the restaurant (he went in to get change) and saw this guy shouting in my face, but luckily, all they did was shout at one another.
The guy’s wife went inside the restaurant and rallied the troops, and had all of the male members of his family come outside to corner me against my car and yell at me, telling me that I needed to learn to mind my own business, because I had ruined their brunch. They were yelling at me to leave, but my Marketplace seller hadn’t arrived yet! It really irritated them that I wouldn’t just go.
The Grandpa even tried grabbing my phone when I snapped pics of the license plate as the OG couple were leaving (the dog owner said he wasn’t doing anything wrong, but left when I said that we could just let the police and SPCA decide that). Luckily my partner blocked Grandpa’s hand, but that just led to another guy (a brother maybe?) squaring up and chest bumping my partner. 🙄
Absolutely unhinged behaviour. There was even a teen family member out yelling at me. If my partner hadn’t been there I think I would have been on the end of a beat down. These were some angry men!
Not sorry I spoke up, but I know it only delayed the inevitable. They will definitely do this again. Poor pup. Also, poor women in this family.