Dog Day
by Jennifer Lee

I was driving through the city this morning when I saw a little dog trotting down the street. One of those terrier types, the ones I usually mistake for vermin, but this one was really cute. And he trotted along beside his master, looking up with worshipping little doggy eyes and keeping pace. Whenever the man stopped, so did the dog. It was so cute. No lead, no muzzle, just a man and his little mate having a bit of a run. It made me smile, although I didn't want to, nope. I don't usually get even mildly expressive until round about noon. But that image had me grinning away before I had chance to stop it. And it wasn't just me.

Everybody they passed turned around for a second look, dopey expressions on their faces. If I'd wound down the window a little, I would have heard a collective "AWWWWW!" It was great to see. Yes, there was a bit of love in the metropolis this morning, and I was happy to witness it.

Don't you just love dogs? Look what power they have. To turn a sterile city street into a place of warmth just by being there? That's power. To turn a hard-faced suit into an emotional human being? What a feat. Let's face it, dogs are good for us. I reckon we should all be able to take our dogs to work. They could sit under our desks and when we feel a bit harassed, we could reach down and get some unconditional lovin'. On our breaks we could take our dogs to the doggy park (because there'd be one, of course) for a game of ball and some socialising with the other doggies. See what a hold they have? Now I'm calling them "doggies."

Remember when we were kids? Dogs used to be everywhere. Whenever a game of catch was on the go, guaranteed there'd be a dog around to nick off down the street with your ball. Whenever you'd ride your bike full-pelt down a steep hill, guaranteed there'd a dog would get under your wheels and make you fall off, bust your bike, fracture your collarbone and spend 3 months in traction -- sorry, got a bit personal there.

But, seriously, dogs used to be all over the place. They were in our homes and on our beds. They were part of every day life. Nowadays, you're lucky to see one unless it's either straining at the end of a leash or skidding about in the back of a truck.

When I was growing up I never heard about vicious dogs savaging kids. Everybody I knew had cocker spaniels and Labradors and Samoyeds. The most vicious dog I ever knew was a German shepherd named Devil, and the kid's father who owned him made it clear that he was not a pet to play with, he was a guard dog. Nowadays, it seems every time I pick up the paper someone’s been mauled.

It's a shame. Because there's nothing better than seeing a happy dog trotting down the street, just snuffling around minding his own business. It's a shame our kids won't ever get to see that. And it's a shame because it seems that we are not who we used to be. And sadly, as a result, neither are our lovely dogs. RIP, Benji.