This is why people can take “comfort“ dogs just about everywhere. To restaurants, grocery stores, churches, sporting events, you name it. Places that 50 years ago were off limits to all pets, now have a “welcome mat” at the entrance. It’s the law. A couple of months ago while shopping at our local Target store, I saw a lady with her dog in the shopping cart doing her shopping. We put out food in those carts.
News flash......the store employees DO NOT clean those shopping carts!! I use to work for a major grocery company in my youth. We NEVER cleaned the carts. We had no way (equipment) to do so. Once or twice a year, a privately owned company came to our store to steam clean our shopping carts in the parking lot early in the morning before the store opened.
This was the only time they were ever cleaned.
Society today cares more about people’s comfort than it did in the 50’s - 80’s, even if it makes others a bit uncomfortable. The next time you go grocery shopping, remember this observation. There's a real good chance you're using a cart that Bowser rode around the store in recently.