Doggoneit

Yesterday I saw a woman walking behind a stroller. It looked like one of those strollers at Kohl's, the black ones with the netting that can hold about 20 pieces of clothing comfortably. Instead of black netting the stroller was covered in leopard print material, a hole for the baby to breathe in poked through the front. I glanced at the hole, preparing my biggest smile for the little human, but stopped short when I noticed a baby wasn't looking at me. It was a Yorkie dog. Dressed in a sweater.

As you can tell, New York City is very dog-friendly. They can go almost anywhere they want, as long as their owners are with them: restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops - even strollers.

I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop. A white Pomeranian across the room lounges next to his owner, giving me the "Feed me" stare. Very cute but very annoying when you're trying to enjoy your chocolate chip cookie. The urge to feed the little yapper is almost unbearable. All he has to do is flick those beady eyes my way, and the small child inside me tells me to reach out my hand and obey his silent command.

They have signs in New York City saying "Clean up after your dog. Or face a $100 fine." My question is, do they really expect everyone to clean up dog poop off the street? Do they have cameras filming owners as they pass by, security guards monitoring the squat and quiver movements of the dog, waiting to see if the owner brings out the ever-famous plastic bag and then dispose of the evidence? How does the city track down the owners that let the mess lie?

Sorry for the graphics, but these things cross your mind when you're walking down the street, minding your own business, and suddenly something tells you to stop. Look down....

Do I have to go on? You know what meets your eye, and you groan a little inside, thank whatever god you believe in you didn't step in it, and move as quickly as possible away from the sight.

Yep. New York City is dog friendly all right, but I feel sorry for those dogs that have to live here. There are only so many places they can walk around. No running on soft grass, unless their owner happens to live by Central Park. It's a sad life for a dog...but maybe they like doing what their people do. If we ever figure out their language, maybe we can ask them what they prefer: lots of running space on soft ground or concrete?