When we first ‘adopted’ our baby Alfonso, a family friend who has spent time in the U.K. said ‘the Brits love dogs more than people’. When I see men in India throwing stones at street dogs (or monkeys), I agree with this statement. In India, many people are scared of dogs. It’s the fear of rabies, the fear of being chased and the fact most domestic dogs are trained as guard dogs. When we walk Alfonso, people generally admire but avoid him. Poor guy, he wants to play with everyone but he’s not very popular around here. There will be occasions when someone will spring from nowhere, pick him up and cuddle him, but that’s rare. Many domestic dogs in India spend most of their lives tied up outside their owners home, barking at anyone who comes too close. There is a very cute Pomeranian in the house opposite, very small and fluffy, he spends day and night tethered to a short rope, yapping his little head off. In Britain, dogs are a part of the family, there are no street dogs and it’s not often you’ll find someone who is scared of them. Alfonso is part of our family and walks around the house freely, I [...]
