Doggies

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Being a crazy dog owner, I had to comment on pets and dogs in particular in India. Its a topic near and dear to my heart. In India, unlike America, there don't seem to be many breeds of dog. I recently posted a picture of coco on facebook and really, all dogs look almost exactly like him. Long nose, thin body and small to medium sized. You don't see the mixed breeds we have in the U.S. and almost no one know what a pit bull is!

The wealthier families do have pure bred dogs such as sheppards, labs, pugs etc. People walking their dogs around the society but on the streets of every town we've been, there is also a huge stray dog population. You almost can't get out of the car without walking by or stepping over a stray. They roam the streets with people, cows and goats and eat whatever they can get to.

Ranjit and his mom have mentioned a few bird sanctuaries and we visited a bird hospital in Delhi so there is a movement to rehabilitate birds and provide a safe haven. I asked if there were doggie sanctuaries or shelters and the answer was pretty much no. I guess there are some, but the population of strays is so enormous, there aren't enough facilities. Dogs lay in the middle of busy sidewalks and wander the streets and from what I can tell, they are extremely docile and no one seems afraid or wary of them.

We were talking last night and India has grown so much and so fast, that the social problems are many....poverty, animal control, pollution, corruption and infrastructure are just some of the problems India faces...as Ranjit asked which do you tackle first?

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