Baja Dogs

I need to take pictures, but never seem to have my camera when I want it. The dogs here are interesting. Every once and a while you see a purebred, but my guess is it belongs to a gringo. Most of the dogs are short-furred, with upright tails and pointy snouts. All have fleas. None are overweight, though some are quite skinny. The legs tend to be shorter than looks normal for the length of the body, so one wonders. Who has the dachshund that added this character trait?

The male dogs are not castrated. It isn't part of the local, dog-owning mentality and is no different than the consciousness I recall in the U.S. in the '50s. Female puppies, supposedly, are not desired. People feel they do not make good guard dogs. Although almost all homes have wire fences to keep out whomever or whatever, not all dogs are fenced. In fact, very few seem to be confined.

Like male puppies, no one would pay to spay the females. As females mean more puppies (because none of the males are neutered and most dogs run loose), no one wants them. The end result is many female pups are dumped in the arroyos to die. Problem of puppy proliferation solved.

It's ghastly. In the weeks that I've been here, I can't tell you how many gringas have been toting around a female pup to see if any other foreigner would like to bring one home. I've been sorely tempted, because some of the pups are adorable...and what puppy isn't? But of course, that can't happen. We just don't have space for more than one dog. None-the-less, it's great that some dedicated people who live here over several months of the year are making the effort to re-home them. There is a resort/shop called Baja Joe's that has set up a connection between  people willing to foster and puppies. They advertise via an internet forum and local grape vine. They want Canadians and Americans to get the dog out of here, because staying isn't an option.

Love your pup today. Let her know how lucky she is to be living with you.