We know dogs are against war. They don’t like firecrackers, rockets, or their family members leaving home to join the Army. Although dogs are as against the Iraq war as we are, perhaps they should not participate in marches to express their political opinions.
We saw more than a dozen pooches in the San Francisco March Saturday, October 27, 2007, and few appeared happy. Among the canine expressions we saw were worry, fear, and hesitation. No dog had that relaxed little, open-mouth smile. None moved with a delightful bounce. Not one mirrored the hopeful expectation of the marchers. The elements that excited those of us marching appeared to overwhelm the dogs:
· beating drums
· blaring loudspeakers
· vibrating asphalt
· flashing costumes
· waving signs
· helicopters.
Despite the dogs’ willingness to walk with us, despite their being politely on leash, the march was not the place for them. There were no bowls of water or strategically placed garbage cans for dog waste. Given the noise and the fact there were no provisons for dogs, is it any wonder that there were no doggie smiles on the Golden Retrievers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Australian Heelers, Jack Russell Terriers, Shih Tzus, and mutts?
We march because we don’t have direct control on Bush, Rice, and Cheney, but we do have direct control over the lives of our dogs. We can give them the peace and security that we deny those in the Middle East. We can give them the environment they crave, lounging at home looking forward to the time we return from having done our best to make the world a better place.
We saw more than a dozen pooches in the San Francisco March Saturday, October 27, 2007, and few appeared happy. Among the canine expressions we saw were worry, fear, and hesitation. No dog had that relaxed little, open-mouth smile. None moved with a delightful bounce. Not one mirrored the hopeful expectation of the marchers. The elements that excited those of us marching appeared to overwhelm the dogs:
· beating drums
· blaring loudspeakers
· vibrating asphalt
· flashing costumes
· waving signs
· helicopters.
Despite the dogs’ willingness to walk with us, despite their being politely on leash, the march was not the place for them. There were no bowls of water or strategically placed garbage cans for dog waste. Given the noise and the fact there were no provisons for dogs, is it any wonder that there were no doggie smiles on the Golden Retrievers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Australian Heelers, Jack Russell Terriers, Shih Tzus, and mutts?
We march because we don’t have direct control on Bush, Rice, and Cheney, but we do have direct control over the lives of our dogs. We can give them the peace and security that we deny those in the Middle East. We can give them the environment they crave, lounging at home looking forward to the time we return from having done our best to make the world a better place.
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