Dog's dinner

You'll never believe what those whacky New Yorkers are up to now. They're TAKING THEIR DOGS INTO RESTAURANTS!

I know! It's off the hook!

DOGS in RESTAURANTS.

Okay, let's get real. I've spent almost a decade in a country where not only are dogs allowed in restaurants, they're allowed in the kitchens of restaurants, and they're generally served before their owners even get menus. Why, I'm positive one night at Akropolis A DOG COOKED MY MEAL. (I'm a little blurry on the details, but I definitely saw a Great Dane in the kitchen and my garlic soup was decidedly sub par, so YOU do the math.)

These New York dogs are not just pets, of course. They're "emotional support dogs" and they're doctor-certified.

...recently a number of New York restaurateurs have noticed a surge in the number of diners seeking to bring dogs inside for emotional support, where previously restaurants had accommodated only dogs for the blind.

I understand the purpose of a seeing eye dog in a restaurant, but what "emotional support" can a dog offer someone disappointed with their entree? Can the dog pick up the check? Talk his way in without a reservation? Demand the soup be reheated? I don't think so.

Dogs in restaurants, in my experience, drool on your leg and make goo-goo eyes at your food. If that's your definition of "emotional support" more power to you, emotional stability is waiting for you at the pound.

Not that I oppose dogs in restaurants. I HEART dogs in restaurants. And in beer gardens. And on trams. And in the workplace. I think dogs should be scattered around rooms like cushions. But I don't think you should need a doctor's note -- a prescription, really -- to bring one along with you. (Although I like the idea of going to the drugstore, presenting my slip of paper, and being handed a poodle. Possibly in a large, time-release capsule.)

What I'm saying is...I'm glad I live in Prague. Somehow, no matter what the topic, that what I always seem to be saying.