my dog loves car rides. she used to get excited when we’d say “car ride” but her love for them has made her a bully to where now she just pushes her way into the car any time we leave. it’s nearing the point of being a problem.

what i’ve noticed is almost every place we go gives her free stuff. walgreens pharmacy drive thru has dog biscuits. dunkin donuts regularly gives her cups of whipped cream. a&w has twice handed my dog a full strip of bacon.

i’ve been to a few zoos. people pay premium prices for the opportunity to feed anything from fish to seals to giraffes. i’ve also been to wildlife preserves where there are signs posted specifically to discourage people from giving animals food cause they just can’t help themselves.

i guess my question is, why is that the move? do we assume animals are hungry? i can tell you that lily hides more treats in my back seat than she eats. we feed her. why don’t they give her a toy to destroy or just a nice head pet? do we get satisfaction watching something consume the thing we gave them? it’s like a magic trick? and why, if that’s the case, do we not just carry an extra bag of sandwiches to hand out to humans we encounter throughout the day? if a homeless man staggered up to an a&w, would he get the same bacon my dog was given? do they work bacon freebies into the budget as walmart does shoplifting and nationwide insurance does peyton manning?

it’s probably just a nice thing to do. maybe i’m overthinking it.