Sleeping dogs

Street dogs rarely have it quite this good.

Chile in Headlines: What about the pets?

So its been well over a week since Chaiten, a volcano in the far south of Chile, started bellowing ash, smoke and lava. The town, which holds the same name, has been evacuated, the last member was just recently pulled out. But recently there has been a fair amount of attention on "what will happen to Fido?" What about the pets?

The government said late this weekend that it would allow a small group to enter the restricted area to feed the animals, but hasn't authorized actually pulling the animals, estimated to be aruond 1,400 strong, out of the area.

Now my guess is that they don't want to add to the logistical nightmare they are already facing with just the people. Adding dogs to the living space, not too mention the bill, would just be more than the state had in mind.

But it does raise some interesting issues. Is a dog a member of the family? Who decides this? How can the state punish people for poorly treating animals if it doesn't care for them in times of need?

I guess the cynic in me says, if the discussion is surrounding what to do about pets, then things are going pretty well for a natural disaster. But then, what about Fido? Will he be left to just eat pigeons and lap dogs?

El Regalon

After an extremely filling meal at what might be one of the best restaurants around Santiago...Calypso, Caro and I rested in a field behind the eating area (the food is rich and the wine is strong so they have some comfy chairs and hammocks to rest in)...we were visited by a large but friendly dog.

Riding with the furious

This week was the monthly ride of "Ciclistas Furiosos," in which a couple hundred bike Fanatics get together and ride down the streets during rush hour. It was a nice ride that went into some of the older parts of Santiago where I wouldn't even think of riding at night alone. It brought out all sorts: hippies, kids, office workers, dogs, and even a rat.

Beach Dogs

Living the hard life of a beach dog.

Best friend for five minutes

One of the things I enjoy about wandering around in Chile is that you meet lots of random street dogs. Some of them are in a sad state, some of them are as free and as happy as doggedly possible. This guy was somewhere in between.