Dogs: Surrogate Children

Ok maybe this is one of the more obvious ones, but it's a major one.

Where I'm from, dogs are dogs and they're treated as such. They sleep outside in a kennel, they're given ordinary dog food and they have some obedience training.

But here, they are on an equal level to humans. They are people's children, their babies as if they had given birth to them themselves.

First of all, I found it incredibly strange that most stores are totally ok with people bringing their dogs in. Additionally, i was surprised to find that a lot of landlords let their tenants have their pissing, shitting animals in a small enclosed apartment. But everyone seems to love dogs here, and accepts them.

I work in the industry, at what is referred to as a "pet spa." (Seriously, Pet SPA? wtf?) Some (rich) people's devotion to their dogs is truly showcased at this establishment.
Some of these people aren't even home enough to give their dogs an satisfactory amount of attention and love so they spend hundreds of dollars a week on professional dog walkers and "doggy daycare." (I'm sorry, but to call it "doggy daycare" is all kinds of ridiculous bullshit. It's a fucking kennel. A boarding kennel.)

I love dogs, i do. But it's a normal amount of love to have for an animal.