West Philadelphia, 2004. University City lay in ruins. Dogs, many of them Hungarian, roamed the streets. Citizens took up arms, bazookas and blunderbusses to defend themselves from the plague of *DOGGIES WITHOUT LEASHES*!! Impertinent doggies ran wild in feral packs, terrorizing squirrels and ordinary non-dog-owning people. The UCD was at a loss. The police couldn't help. Brazen Borzois swaggered down Baltimore Avenue, pushing pedestrians off the sidewalks. Farragut Avenue was seething with basset hounds. South 46th Street was awash with big horny Labradoodles.Now come on. Dogs are DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. It is not like owning a "tame" tiger, a truly wild animal. Sure, they can be dangerous, but responsible owners should know if their dogs are dangerous and/or unpredictable and take the appropriate precautions.
Terrified non-dog-owning people telephoned 911 to no avail. What to do?? At this darkest of hours, hope dawned. To the east, a small light twinkled. A faint perfume was dispersed like a mist. And then, striding up Baltimore Avenue, came -- Market Forces!! In big white hats! Bad influences subsided. Doggies were quelled and put on their best manners. Obedience schools sprang up and flourished! Hair braiding salons folded their doors and were replaced by Banana Republics! Mom and Pop stores gave way to Milady's Boutiques! Just when you thought it was safe to go outside again to buy a cappucino grande latte from those nice Mennonites, it was safe to go outside again.
In a message dated 10/27/2003 4:22:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
What bothers me, are dog owners whose dogs, even when on a leash, are, to use their favorite word, "territorial." Dogs are social, pack animals by nature and are generally not territorial (unless trained or bred to be so). A dog that is territorial has not been properly socialized, most likely because it has never been permitted to interact with other dogs, off a leash.
Ross Bender
http://rossbender.org
