It doesn't bother me to see a person with a dog in a carrier, whether it's a purse or the kind that straps to their belly. What bothers me is if they take their dog someplace where larger dogs that have to walk can't go. And if they don't get reminded of the law if they do. I don't believe in breed discrimination because a small dog is "cuter".
Petsmart type stores are great places to take your dog for socialization. They have a new, strange environment to deal with (carts, electric doors), they have new people to deal with and they have other pets to deal with. IMO this is why Europe is so far ahead of us as far as dogs are concerned. People can take their dogs anywhere, so they
have to learn to behave and be social.
As long as you feel your dog is protected I wouldn't worry about it, but you do run a risk. The same risk you run sitting in a vet's waiting room with your pet.
If your dog can fit in a carry on bag (sherpa carrier), they can ride with the passengers on a plane. They are supposed to remain in the bag though. Lots of people travel with new puppies or small dogs this way. It keeps them out of the cargo hold and it's much cheaper. Typically shipping a dog cargo costs more than a person's plane ticket for the same flight.
Seems like there was something else I wanted to reply to...... oh well
Anyway, if a person wants to carry their pet to
be with it, that's cool.
If the pet is just an ornament, that's not cool, but it should be the same laws for everybody.