Unfit to be tied

For a dog like me, leashes are a fact of life. But if I’m going to be on one end of that leash, there better be a human on the other end. Nothing is more demeaning than being tied up to a sign post or a street lamp, as if an inanimate object has better discretion than I do. At least I can tell the difference between my owner and a potential abductor. Tethered to a parking meter, I’m a sitting duck for any dognapper walking down the street. When a stranger tries to steal me, is the parking meter going to come to my defense? I don’t think so (when has a parking meter ever helped anybody?).

This is a real problem. You can’t go a month without reading a story in the paper about a dog that was stolen when his or her owner went into a store and left him or her outside. It would be nice to live in a world where we could trust others. Unfortunately, we don’t.

Here’s a little thought experiment: Ask yourself, “What would I be willing to leave out on a street unattended?” Your wallet or your purse? Your bicycle? A bag of groceries? I bet you answered “no” to all those questions. So if you don’t trust people not to take your bicycle, why would you trust them not to take your dog? It’s a lot harder to replace a dog than a bicycle. In fact, you can’t replace us; each dog is one of a kind!