And I thought we were a dog-loving part of the world. I think Argentina actually beats us in its canine craze. Dogs are everywhere. Pampered pet pooches and the numerous neighborhood strays are equally loved. One of my guides told me that children will actually christen and care for the stray dogs in their neighborhood, making them de facto members of the community even if they live on the streets and in the doorways. I saw so many stray dogs, but never once a menacing one. The street dogs wander into shops, hang out in the squares, nap in the parks... just like the people.
From my Argentina travel guide: "It is common for wealthy porteño families, living in an apartment without the required open space, to hire a paseadores (professional dog walker). There is great demand for the service, and every employee will happily walk between ten and 25 dogs at once, looking rather like a maypole at the center of dancing, dueling, and occasionally knotting ribbons of dogs. Unfortunately, there is little control of the dog dirt. Visitors should check carefully where they step." Indeed. (Although, Mendoza gets high marks in this area. I actually saw most people cleaning up after their dogs. That's not the case in Buenos Aires whatsoever.)
And let's not forget the other critters. Cats were plentiful too - not only as pets, but feral cats live in the cemeteries and in the parks as well. And birds - it was not uncommon to see a birdcage mounted to the wall outside of an apartment either (the one below lived at an auto shop). Argentina loves its animals.
No comments:
Post a Comment