Although in recent years the profile of assistance dogs or dogs serving the public has helped to improve the image of dogs in general, even these dogs have difficulty in gaining access to places where service dogs in the West would automatically be accepted; restaurants, shops, hotels, public buildings, public transport and so on. But slowly things are changing. More dogs, especially in the suburbs and in cities are treated as family members, kept in the house, taken on holidays and on outings with the family. There are cafes, hotels, apartments and various facilities which cater for people with pets . However these are still very much in the minority and there is a long way to go. The law needs to be repealed, tightened and enforced. The authorities must take positive steps to inspect and control pet businesses which apart from creating a surplus of unwanted pets, encourage people to treat animals as disposable objects. But most important peoples' attitude has to change from regarding pets as possessions and objects to treating them as family members.
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