On our first day’s walk through Havana Vieja (Old Havana, Cuba) we were followed by a dog that seemed to latch on to us, an ever present reminder to watch each step. Although not many in number, there were several dogs I would describe as street dogs. These were dogs with no pedigree tracing their breed’s history. No local charity or veterinarian looked out for their needs, no toys were monogrammed especially for them, and they had no wardrobe with outfits for each occasion and holiday. They simply lived an independent existence, as dogs.
This memory surfaced recently when a group of international students visited our city. While touring with them, we walked along the canal at the Riverfront Park, a popular spot often filled with walkers, runners, and bicyclists. Here, many people are accompanied by their dogs – many of them brand-named. The dogs sport fancy leashes; some wear bandanas like it’s a designer shawl, others wear decorative sweaters; and their owners carry waste removal bags that, in my opinion, often go unused, only carried for display. It was here that one of the visitors turned to look back at a runner who sped by with his dog in tow. The visitor seemed to give some thought to what he saw and remarked, “I wonder if their dogs ever get tired.”
There is much to consider about the nature of pets and their relationships with humans.
