Astoria Sunday Market

The Astoria Sunday Market opened this weekend. It is an exciting weekly event and one that I participate in as often as I can. The day was warm and sunny, and business seemed brisk. I parted with at least $50 of my filthy lucre at several booths.

Sunday Market is a joyfull event, but one thing that does cast a pall on the event are all the people who insist on bringing their dogs to such a crowded event.. Come on people, your dogs are not your children. They are livestock. Would you want someone to bring a goat to the market?

People will say that their dogs are part of their family and they need to be social, too. I say the place is too crowded with too much going on to have to be aware of things below our line of vision. So far in the several years of attending the market I have seen dogs trip people, I've seen several dog fights that resulted in dog injuries. I've seen dogs get stepped on and injured.

If you want your dog to be social, take them to a park, take them for a walk on the river walk. Don't bring them to Sunday Market.

I know someone out there will say, "But there are dog attractions at the Sunday Market!" There is a booth that makes dog tags, another that makes dog biscuits, and another one that does pet massage. Pet Massage? Give me a freakin break! Give your stinking dog a bath, rub in the shampoo, that's all the massage they need. If you think they need a massage every day, give them a bath every day.