Lotus S.
Cruelty for fun
For weeks, my dog Nova and I sat peacefully outside the BBQ patio of H-E-B. He lay quietly beneath the table, never begged, never barked. Just resting in the shade—our little ritual of survival in the Texas heat. Then one manager came back from vacation and decided to make an example of us. He waited for me to go upstairs to load my card, then called two cops to corner and trespass me—for nothing. No disruption. No complaint. No reason—except the satisfaction of watching a disabled, houseless veteran and his calm service dog get removed from the only grocery store I can walk to. The officers mocked me. The manager smiled. It wasn’t about safety. It was about power. Now I’m banned from getting food or shade in my own neighborhood. I have to take buses for hours just to eat—because one man wanted to play God for a day. This isn’t just cruelty. It’s policy with a badge and a barbecue apron. You can do better, H-E-B. You need to do better.


