I was excited to read that someday traveling up to DC from Raleigh may no longer require a four-hour long drive where one is forced to pay attention to the road rather than to their dog. There is currently legislation underway to allow dogs on Amtrak trains. Wonderful news! Society continues to make leaps and bounds in reducing the barriers to being out in the world with one’s pets, and I am, pardon the pun, completely on board.
We are recognizing as a society the important part pets play in our lives and how much like family they really are. Leaving dogs at home is becoming less the standard as pet-friendly hotels, pet cafes, dog parks, yappy hours and so many other options grow in popularity. It fills me with joy to see people out and about with their dogs (along with the random cat, rabbit and bird). Spending time together, enjoying a variety of activities and creating more shared experiences serve to increase the human-animal bond, which is beneficial to humans and pets alike.
So keep up the good work, outside world; keep offering treats at drive-thrus and creating boot camps for people with their dogs, and I will look very forward to showing my dog the scenery as it goes by our train window. Oh, the places we will go!
Photo credit: Charles O’Rear, 1941-, Photographer (NARA record: 3403717) – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration