Delta does not have control with what stores go in at the airport. As for the dog if it was a large dog out of a crate, then it must have been a service dog. Service dogs are the only large dog allowed inside the plane. All other large dogs have to go into the cargo area in a crate. Small dogs that can fit in a kennel that will fit under the seat can fly for $300 round trip. The reason why they let the dog out is because they wanted to let the dog go to the bathroom. There are no facilities for the dogs. If the dog went to the bathroom in the plane, that would have been another delay. As for the dog going on first again this is because the dog is a service dog and is with someone with a handicap. Service dogs do not have to wear vests or the information shared according to the American Disabilities Act.
In all fairness ther was horrible weather in the month of February and back east the weather extremely bad and safety does come first. I understand that you were inconvenienced for hours....however, you are still here to talk about it which is a good thing. Others were not so lucky in the month of February: Plane crash in Windham Feb. 17 2009, Feb 25, 1009 - At least nine killed as Turkish Airlines plain crases near Amsterdam and on February 13, 50 were killed as a plane hits a house near Buffalo. And on February 8th Twenty-four people, among them seven children, were killed on Sunday after their airplane crashed in a river in
Brazil.
So all in all it was a miserable flying time... I hope you will consider yourself among the lucky ones...