May 12, 2008Downtown dogsI enjoyed reporting the story about living downtown with dogs that appeared in The Roanoke Times Extra section on Saturday. 
I actually had more sources than I could fit coherently into 30 plus inches of newsprint, which in journalism is a pretty nice problem to have. Every downtown dweller I chatted with about pooches, including Robert Natt who is seen here with his dog Scofield, referred me to at least one other person who could comment about the lifestyle of the urban pet family. But I think that's probably true of most neighborhoods: the families with dogs get to know each other. We know Rosie, the Lhasa apso across the street, Bitsy the Austrailan shepherd two doors down, her next door neighbor Bailey, a Maltese, and of course Pepper and Biscuit, the two Scottish terriers who live next door to us and race our greyhounds along our shared fence. And we are acquainted with all the families of these pooches that our hounds count as their playmates and friends. Dog people know each other. Do you find that your dog helps you get to know the families of other dogs you meet in the park or on walks in your neighborhoods? Aren't pooches the ultimate conversation starters for the humans at the other end of the leashes? In an time when it seems we all feel so disconnected with our communities, dogs are a great way to get people together. |
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Comments
[May 12, 2008 6:23 PM]
Ed S.My wife and I have met many people through our pooch. A few have come to be good friends that we see often. It's a bit funny, but sometimes we remember the dog's name but not the owners.
[May 13, 2008 10:44 AM]
LisaWe got a dog last summer; even though my husband and I regularly took walks down the same streets in our pre-pup years, people seem to interact with us more now that we have a dog. Neighbors used to smile and wave, but now they come over to speak to us and give the dog's ears a bit of a rub. Isn't it interesting how dogs open up new lines of conversations for people who otherwise didn't speak to each other much?
Like Ed S., my husband and I now think of the neighbors in relation to their pets. We'll refer to "Spot's mom" or "Fido's human" because (for some really bizarre reason) it's often easier to remember the dogs' names!
[May 14, 2008 7:44 PM]
KimI liked the story about the downtown dogs! Just because you live in an urban area doesn't mean you can't have pets and I'm glad to read that the city has made accommodations for pet owners. Kudos to those owners for being good citizens with waste removal!