There seems to be an abundance of stray dogs ruling the streets of Granada, Nicaragua. Many female dogs have milking breasts, and I haven’t seen a neutered male yet. You’ll see a dog prancing down the street like it owns it…very cute. But who owns these dogs? I asked my Spanish teacher, Sarai (who owns 4 dogs), about these “stray” dogs and she said that most of them aren’t stray. In Nicaragua it’s very common for a family to own a dog, but allow it to roam the streets during the day, kind of like how Americans treat their cats. For example, my host family’s dog, Zoro, isn’t collared and can freely enter and exit the house. I see him relaxing on a nearby street corner every day. The family is nice to Zoro, but they don’t pay much attention to him. I haven’t a seen a food bowl in the house and he is skinny, indicating that he mainly relies on food he finds on the street, or a small donation from a dinner plate.
I see this as partial ownership over Zoro, since the family doesn’t take full responsibility over him and he has the option to leave. If conditions were bad enough, he could choose to stay at another household that offers him something better (which wouldn’t be hard considering how cute he is). Some people would call this animal abuse, but I think otherwise; a free dog is a happy dog. Sarai told me that if you collar the dogs and force them on walks, they lose the will to eat and play. I see the prosperity in the wide eyes and open mouths of many of the dogs here. Sure these animals don’t get the best dog food in the world but they’re not bound to one house, and leashed every time they go out. They are completely free. Many opportunities for good left overs and promiscuous sex await for them in Granada. Sure, dogs need some level of care, but many dogs in Granada get a good balance of control and freedom. If I was a dog, I would love Granada.
