When I was a kid in the 50's and 60's, dogs and cats ran free. I'm not saying it was right, it was just the way it was. I don't ever remembering walking Penny, our Boston Terrier. We just opened the door and she went outside. We had a low hedge around our back yard, but no fence and certainly not an invisible electric fence. When she was a puppy, the neighbor caught her going through the hedge and tapped her on the butt, scaring her forever more into staying in her own yard.
My husband had a Boxer when he was a kid. That dog was a legend. Nicki would leave in the morning (if he had come home the night before) and roam the streets of East Liberty in Pittsburgh until he got tired, hungry or bored. He always found his way home. People used to tell the family how they saw Nicki here and there. Everyone knew Nicki.
When Andy and I were in college, we had a friend who had a little black terrier named, Sam. Sam was a fixture in the art department where we all spent most of our time. Sam was everywhere. He loved to visit all of his friends. He would come to the house and scratch on the door. When you opened the door, he would trot on in and hang out for awhile. He liked to say hi to our dogs, check out Pete, the hamster, then he would sit on the couch and visit until he had another place to go. Then he would go to the door, say bye and go on to his next appointment. For a class project, my husband made a video of Mike (Sam's Dad) and Sam, set to the song, "All I Ever Wanted Was a Son" by Seals and Crofts. (Well, we think that's the title and the artists - but we can't remember anymore!) It was a real tearjerker and earned him an A.
Anyway, to really appreciate this tableau, you had to know Mike, Sam's Dad. He was a Vietnam vet who went back to school after his tour. He wore black leather and looked more like a member of Hell's Angels than an art student. Mike was probably in his thirties, but looked fifty. Kinda like Carlos Santana who has always looked like an old man. Anyway, Mike was a confirmed bachelor. And Sam was his kid. Sam was so devoted to Mike that he knew when an art teacher had given Mike grief and Sam walked up one day and peed on the prof's jacket. None of us liked the guy so it was a victory for all. Sam had the run of our little college town. He would sit on Mike's shoulders or on the back of the seat when they were driving around in Mike's car. Sam was also a legend.
Sadly, the freedom that made Sam such a character was the very thing that ended his life. One sad day, he was hit by a car. Because that very thing was becoming more common, leash laws were enacted and it was no longer acceptable to just let your dog run free. Today, it is not just illegal, you risk a fine and having your pet taken to a shelter if they're found wandering the streets. What used to be a common sight has become an anomaly. If I see a dog running free, I immediately assume it has gotten loose and I want to help it find its way home.
Cats are a different story, but even that's changing. Before I had a cat, I used to cringe when people said they let the cat out at night. I could not imagine intentionally letting a beloved pet roam free all night and then assuming it would return the next morning. I imagined all sorts of scenarios from encounters with other animals to encounters with speeding cars. When I finally gave my heart to a little stray, before he became a housecat, I used to lay awake at night worrying about him. If it rained, I panicked. I remember one night seeing him outside the front window, lying close to the house. I knew he would run if I tried to get close, so I just stood there, on the other side of the window, crying silent tears for a little soul I already loved. I started leaving the garage door open just enough that he could get in if he wanted. Now that he's a housecat, he has no interest in leaving.
The cat expert, Jackson Galaxy, is on a campaign to get people to stop letting their cats run free outside. He says it's just too dangerous. From diseases, to accidents to intentional animal abuse, there are just too many ways for them to get hurt or killed. My own cats have a screened in porch to enjoy, but there are creative ways to help a cat get their outside time without putting them in danger. A cat breeder friend takes her "babies" on walks in a stroller. I see a man in the neighborhood, walking his cat on a leash, and the cat seems to enjoy it. There are just too many dangers out there to just open the door and wish them well.
Whether you agree with it or not, there are just too many reasons to get cats and dogs spayed or neutered, vaccinated and kept safely indoors. The shelters are filled with thousands of reasons. Some changes really are for the better.
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| From life on the streets to a life of ease |
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