Horrible pet owners.

The way some pet owners treat their pets is really shocking to me.

The other weekend I was at the beach on these rocks that tumble down in to the lake, and there was this big group of (mostly white) (20 and 30 something) people, many with dogs.

When I was swimming, this (white) guy and (white) girl took their little boxer down on a leash onto a stone, and the guy got in the water and kept trying to coax the dog in, though the dog was freaking out because the rock it was on was slippery from algae growing on it and waves were washing in over that rock and causing it to lose its footing, and so it was whining a lot and you could tell it was mutedly freaking out.

"Come on, you're no fun!", the (white) guy told the dog.

At that, I was genuinely shocked.

What did he think, did he think that the dog was there to occupy him and be a sporty companion, and so you could guilt-trip him like a friend?  Honestly, it's a dog you take care of, not a best bud like in a movie or on a commercial.

Later, too, they were down by another rock and trying it again, this time with the girl in the water, and much of the same thing was happening.

When they gave the dog enough leash, it went onto dry rocks, but then they'd take in the leash and make it go near the water again, and the dog would just whine and whine.

It especially whined when the girl would start to swim away, and they held it near the water's edge to watch her.

The whole thing really ticked me off, I almost wanted to say something, but I didn't, because it would have made the owners defensive, probably.

I should have, though.  What's the worst that they could have said, that it was none of my business? I would have just responded that they were doing it in a public place and the dog was whining audibly, so it most certainly was.