I'm surprised at the invective directed at the Coppingers by so many readers. After a lifetime of study they're simply telling us what they've observed and learned about wild dogs—that, as long as these intelligent, adaptable and highly social animals have food to scavenge, they will go on breeding. Humans, especially us dog lovers, anthropomorphize the pain and suffering of animals forgetting that nature's way is brutal, calculating and most certainly unsentimental. Billions of animals live and die every year unobserved and untouched by human compassion, should we be interfering in all those lives? Let's try and deal with our garbage instead.
57
And while we're at it, let's deal with the suffering that WE inflict on animals raised in unimaginable "factory farming" environments and then slaughtered so that we can eat them (or their products in the case of dairy & eggs). Ditto what we do to fish and other sea creatures. I feel sad when I see the mother dog and her puppies in the street in Mumbai. But I also feel sad when I see videos of chickens having their throats cut, sometimes dying immediately and sometimes surviving long enough to be boiled alive.
29
The 2nd to last paragraph about '"kidnap and mutilate" street dogs from the Caribbean and elsewhere' is so ignorant. I can not even believe the NY Times would repeat such an ignorant statement. Dogs living on the streets anywhere get injured, sick, abused, suffer, etc. To think a pack of dogs living in a small populated town are fine is one thing - it is probably do-able. But to make a blanket statement that dogs can live happily and healthy lives anywhere, without human interaction and help is false and does a HUGE disservice to so many people trying to help street animals! The Coppingers have unbelievable ignorance to the reality of the situation!
25
"The Copingers have unbelievable ignorance to the reality to the situations!"
Wow, this is a laughable statement! Sorry if you are personally offended, but the article makes pretty clear that they are experts in the subject.
Wow, this is a laughable statement! Sorry if you are personally offended, but the article makes pretty clear that they are experts in the subject.
10
I agree with you. I do rescue work (cats, though, not dogs) and I was taken aback by that statement.
4
Removing dogs, or any animals from their natural lives and habitat can be seen as 'kidnapping'. We have to stop judging the lives of animals in human terms! Of course it's possible for dogs, or any animal, to live a 'happy and healthy' life without human interference. By all means reach out personally to suffering animals in any way you want, but let's get real, there are 3/4 billion wild dogs in the world . . . do the math. And, far from being ignorant the Coppingers are reminding us of our human arrogance by thinking we 'know best' and should interfere and improve on nature.
33
I am American living here in Philippines and stray dogs is HUGE problem here. People get puppy then by 5-9 months old it is out. To run wild and impregnate other dogs or become pregnant.
7
Dog is trouble. My daughter who is single raises two dogs. They keep her companion and busy. But they also tear apart her house. Of course, she could do whatever she likes to the dogs and they won't retaliate. She is quite satisfied with the dogs, but I think it is more trouble than necessary. Without the dogs, she will have much more free time and energy to do other thing such as making friends and learning a hobby or two.
6
Dogs need training and then they are not much trouble. Dogs don't know what to do unless they are instructed. That's why there are dog training schools. I'm assuming your daughters dogs are her "friends" and get her out doing things she wouldn't if she didn't have them. Perhaps her dogs are her hobby.
14
Do you really expect sympathy from a man who "kept 100 dogs in cement dens in a hill behind his house" ? Do you really want this "professor" teaching your kids about compassion and living responsibly when he is against spaying and neutering dogs and cats? When he turns a blind eye to the suffering of street dogs from disease, malnutrition, and injuries, often inflicted by humans? This article is very very sad.
Wouldn't it be a better world if we could get these loving companion animals some medical care, food, and shelter? I wish I could adopt them, especially the mama dog and the beagles pictured in India and Macedonia!
I have an idea, lets let the Coppingers live in a dump and scavenge and beg for food! Better yet, DONT BUY THEIR BOOK !!!!
Wouldn't it be a better world if we could get these loving companion animals some medical care, food, and shelter? I wish I could adopt them, especially the mama dog and the beagles pictured in India and Macedonia!
I have an idea, lets let the Coppingers live in a dump and scavenge and beg for food! Better yet, DONT BUY THEIR BOOK !!!!
44
There are too many dogs to be adopted. Better to just leave them be and be done with it. Let localstand help dogs they want to. And just reduce garbage.
17
I totally agree that it's unrealistic to adopt all of the stray dogs in the world, but that doesn't mean people shouldn't try to help them. It's pretty simplistic to assume that just because there are too many stray dogs to help, we shouldn't help any of them.
14
Traveling to Colombia each year and being a student of anything canine, I continue to be both fascinated and disturbed by the incredible amount of street dogs. They are everywhere and appear to be nearly invisible to the locals. My brother-in-law in Barranquilla has told me "they all survive" but I know only the very lucky few make it to adulthood and he probably has never seen a dead one as these street dogs consume anything they can.
8
The Coppingers are a disgrace to science, as well as to humanity. Their utter lack of compassion is profoundly disturbing. Can anyone honestly believe that dogs left to starve or die of disease are better off than those who are rescued? Or that neutering dogs, to prevent further overpopulation, isn't the kind and enlightened thing to do? People who anthropomorphize that dogs resent losing their so-called freedom don't acknowledge the reality of the pain and suffering these dogs endure.
32
I absolutely agree with you!
11
It's you who are anthropomorphizing dogs! We all do it—seeing the lives of animals in human terms. I think it's pretty clear that after a lifetime of study the Coppingers are telling us that we can 'rescue' as many wild dogs as we like, but the population won't decline until we deal with the garbage.
19
This is my entirely unscientific opinion, based only on personal experience with the worlds best/worst Jack Russel terrier who owned me for two years: they are creatures put on this earth by God to console us humans and guide us in the evolution of our souls. Cats are good, parrots are good, but there is nothing like a dog.
41
Perhaps we humans have been put here to assist the dogs, cats, birds, and other creatures we think of as pets. Perhaps we have been put here to help all of the other creatures, pets and not. Perhaps our highest calling is to g and ease the lives of as many of these creatures as we can - to free as many as possible from the remorseless logic of nature, a logic that has most puppies (and kittens and chicks etc.) starve to death. Perhaps the evolution of our souls will be achieved in bringing love, comfort, compassion, and care to the other creatures of the Earth. Perhaps we are meant to be the instrument by which the brutal profligacy of nature, the condition out of which we evolved but which condemns so many countless living feeling creatures (human and otherwise) to suffering and early death, is overcome and replaced with an ecology of abundance and plenty in which every creature may live and romp and revel like the best cared for of housecats. Perhaps we should be constructing the peaceable kingdom here on earth. Perhaps that is our task, to redeem ourselves by redeeming the rich and fertile but too cruel and careless conditions out of which we rose.
9
If any of what you said is true, then we should also all strive to be vegan. Even if plants can feel pain (which I truly doubt) and have some sort of sentience (again, which I doubt although I am often in awe of trees), the most plant friendly diet is a vegan diet. The future of this planet depends on our striving to eliminate as much animal protein from our diets as possible.
10
Back in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, I had this experience once:
After a wedding at a house near my sister's dwelling, a lot of leftover meals had been dumped at a street corner. It of course provided much free food to many pitiable stray dogs. Some of them were more aggressive and shooed the others away. One emaciated female dog with her ribcage showing, with a crestfallen look on her face, and with several puppies in tow, came to the gate of my sister's home as I stood there basking in the December sun. I went back in brought some food and a large saucer of milk and put it all on the ground near the long gutter that lined the street. The mother lapped it all up instantly and then the puppies all started to nurse away from her in contentment.
Later , after I returned from an errand, a teenager who had seen me feeding the mother , came rushing to me saying, " Uncle, Uncle, you won't believe what I saw. One of the puppies fell into the gutter. But then the three other puppies all instantly reached in and after much tugging and pulling brought him back up. I showered them with water to clean up their filth.The mother didn't even have to move. Those puppies acted like good brothers. I know you have to go back to America, but if I see them again I will feed them."
Talk about learning compassion from voiceless animals. This experience is what makes me a great admirer of Buddhist and Jain teachings, for they are short on words and vivid on action.
After a wedding at a house near my sister's dwelling, a lot of leftover meals had been dumped at a street corner. It of course provided much free food to many pitiable stray dogs. Some of them were more aggressive and shooed the others away. One emaciated female dog with her ribcage showing, with a crestfallen look on her face, and with several puppies in tow, came to the gate of my sister's home as I stood there basking in the December sun. I went back in brought some food and a large saucer of milk and put it all on the ground near the long gutter that lined the street. The mother lapped it all up instantly and then the puppies all started to nurse away from her in contentment.
Later , after I returned from an errand, a teenager who had seen me feeding the mother , came rushing to me saying, " Uncle, Uncle, you won't believe what I saw. One of the puppies fell into the gutter. But then the three other puppies all instantly reached in and after much tugging and pulling brought him back up. I showered them with water to clean up their filth.The mother didn't even have to move. Those puppies acted like good brothers. I know you have to go back to America, but if I see them again I will feed them."
Talk about learning compassion from voiceless animals. This experience is what makes me a great admirer of Buddhist and Jain teachings, for they are short on words and vivid on action.
53
As far as people adopting dogs rescued from the caribbean, I would say there are more than enough dogs right here in the USA that need homes first. Doesn't seem right people are bothering to "rescue" street dogs overseas to adopt in the USA when so many are in shelters and euthanized.
39
I highly recommend reading "Timbuktu" by Paul Auster. It's the story of 750,000,000 dogs rolled into one .......
7
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. When all other friends desert, he remains. He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
71
Most beautifully said. Thank you!
12
i have read that in recent decades, official dog breeding has led to declines in quality, because they are now breeding for appearance only rather than the ability to do the jobs they were originally bred for.
i don't think this is helping anything.
i don't think this is helping anything.
21
In light of the work of my father Dr. John W. Pilley with his dog Chaser the border collie, dogs are worthy of our protection and respect. Research indicates ALL dogs are highly social creatures, with a highly creative thought processes. Reducing them to scavengers in their own element is akin to leaving children on the street to fend for themselves with the ideology that the strong survive. The time has come to NOT neglect them further, rather we need to protect them legally and nurture these incredible social creatures that are the only non-human animal on earth that yearns to bond with humans.
38
I was surprised that the other end of this relationship is not mentioned. People the world over, throughout history have eaten dogs.
9
Interesting article.
I find it odd, however, that the only photos included with the article are of dogs in foreign countries. I believe that there are plenty of cities in the US that deal with "village" dogs, albeit in urban areas.
I find it odd, however, that the only photos included with the article are of dogs in foreign countries. I believe that there are plenty of cities in the US that deal with "village" dogs, albeit in urban areas.
8
The world is infested with dogs. Dogs can urinate, defecate, sniff crotches, bark at people and have sex in public that is not allowed for humans. Try urinating in public and you will be arrested. Dogs rule!
3
Mark Twain's line really fits this article, "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man."
77
Very interesting article! Apparently, dogs came onto the scene about 8000 years ago, according to the article, as an outgrowth of the invention of agriculture by homosapiens. Homosapiens have been around a lot longer. Maybe, we can learn more about ourselves by studying the relationiships between homosapiens and dogs. Ceartaily, homosapiens have played a large role in the spreading of dogs around the world.
5
Why are wolves not dogs? the only reason offered was they vomit up food to feed their pups and avoid humans. And for that matter what about coyotes? and foxes? My dog who is a poodle looks more like a fox than a wolf. There has been a proliferation in this region of coyotes who are living in the river valleys and moving into heavily urbanized communities. Dogs seem to be fully under control with owners who look after them and obey local bylaws or alternatively humans are fully under the control of their dogs who ensure they are provided for and cared for but the wild canines are moving in or we are moving in to their territory .In the area I live in in Caledon you can hear them howling at night in the distance. There have been efforts to immunize foxes and coyotes and other animals such as raccoons through bait programs. However, most of us are aware that our garbage and pets are viewed as food by coyotes in particular. The wild ones are among us.
6
The comment most resonate with me addresses dogs who convince human to feed them. Two of my four best dogs picked me out at the dog pound. While half the dogs barked for me to take them home and half barked for me to stay away, each of these two simply walked to front of the pen, sat, and looked at me. My latest, a young American Foxhound bitch, gazed at me with a look which said, "You'll do just fine." Before we left the pound, a worker took our picture; her tongue hung out of her mouth in complete comfort and her eyes said, "I got my man." She has made me the happiest of men, and we have been in love every since.
79
At the shelter where I worked, an endless flow of collarless dogs arrived (including a significant number of Anatolian Shepherds) -- many with painful and decayed teeth, some with jaws rotted away, others with broken legs and fur so severely matted that they were unable to see or eat and suffered from urine burns and the usual other horrors (intentionally and unintentionally inflicted). I guess those were the lucky ones who survived the likely starvation of puppyhood. Dogs are domesticated animals and not intended to survive without human assistance. To reduce their numbers, we need to do better than reducing a miserable food supply which increases their misery.
16
I was drawn to this article because I have been rescuing dogs on and off for almost two decades. I currently own four pitbulls and two chihuahua mixes, all rescues, and articles like this make me realize how many dogs there are out there.
I don't believe that dogs are scavengers, like this article suggests. I have rescued strays, including my pitbull Zeus, pictured in the photo. I look at him now and remember how he was so scared when I first met him. I don't think Zeus would prefer garbage. Sorry I just don't buy it.
As far as my Zeus and my other dogs act, they are very happy to be dependent on me.
They have transformed from terrified animals into loving family members!
These poor village dogs should be taken care of, and spayed and neutered, and maybe given rabies shots? I think the Coppinger's theory is ridiculous because really have they had a chance to really get to tune into the dogs or are they just treating them like amoeba, part of a scientific experiment?
I don't believe that dogs are scavengers, like this article suggests. I have rescued strays, including my pitbull Zeus, pictured in the photo. I look at him now and remember how he was so scared when I first met him. I don't think Zeus would prefer garbage. Sorry I just don't buy it.
As far as my Zeus and my other dogs act, they are very happy to be dependent on me.
They have transformed from terrified animals into loving family members!
These poor village dogs should be taken care of, and spayed and neutered, and maybe given rabies shots? I think the Coppinger's theory is ridiculous because really have they had a chance to really get to tune into the dogs or are they just treating them like amoeba, part of a scientific experiment?
10
We have a stray cat that comes in our apartment. Freddie, he is pretty mangy looking. I'm going to take him to the vet. I would like to find a home for Freddie if anyone can help. We need to take care of animals. Like Pigeons, simply introducing them from Europe and then abandoning them isn't humane.
5
Here is a pic of Freddie. He is actually much cuter than my photo. Maybe I will post more because I would love to find him a home. My cat Tonka plays with Freddie and says he is a really sweet cat.
https://sites.google.com/site/parathink/home/freddie
https://sites.google.com/site/parathink/home/freddie
1
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
9
Street dogs are a health hazard. Yes, less garbage is the solution, but in many countries the garbage is thrown into a heap on the street. No one will take responsibility to correct this. If every community fed their local dogs they could get vaccinated and sterilized. The constant barking all night will lessen, especially during mating season. Dog bites and recurrent rabies will also lessen. Although the vaccine has to be given yearly. Most of these dogs come to a sad end.
7
I agree with your observations about taking responsibility for the dogs. But when you say 'street dogs are a health hazard,' you're reversing cause and effect. In many of these countries, the humans are the health hazard. Not only throwing garbage into the street, but, as the NYT reported awhile back, defecating and urinating in the street. (For that matter, public urination in NYC is a problem no one wants to address, if only because a big burly guy whipping it out on a subway platform is like the old joke, "where does a 500-pound gorilla sit?' the answer being, 'anywhere he wants to.' Very few people will challenge such a man, who might be armed and less than compos mentis, and clearly doesn't care about either manners or sanitation.) Even if every street dog were to vanish tomorrow, the streets would still be filthy and disease would continue unabated. The dogs are a symptom, not a cause.
12
We have a neighborhood dog on our street, he showed up one day with the road repair crew and never left. Everyone takes care of him, we take turns bathing him and one neighbor gives him his medicines, we each have taken him in when it is cold or rainy and we have all bought him a collar which he promptly loses. One neighbor tried to put him in her fence, when he got out, he never visited her house again, going so far as to walk on the opposite side of the road when passing her house.
He showed up here already neutered, we put out fliers but no one claimed him. He is the best dog on the planet, he is smart and he is funny, he checks on each elderly neighbor every morning, chases off burglars, watches after children, only barks when suspicious people are around...or possums...he has a preternatural hatred for possums.
He has changed all of our ideas about what a dog is supposed to be.
He showed up here already neutered, we put out fliers but no one claimed him. He is the best dog on the planet, he is smart and he is funny, he checks on each elderly neighbor every morning, chases off burglars, watches after children, only barks when suspicious people are around...or possums...he has a preternatural hatred for possums.
He has changed all of our ideas about what a dog is supposed to be.
50
I just returned from Cuba, where these 30-pound village dogs were everywhere. I was amazed that none of them begged, not one that I saw in the 10 days I was there. All were friendly and docile, not at all aggressive.
Someone apparently has been neutering the village dogs--many in Havana have paper tags hung around their necks with name assignments and this notice: "I've been sterilized. Please don't hurt me."
Someone apparently has been neutering the village dogs--many in Havana have paper tags hung around their necks with name assignments and this notice: "I've been sterilized. Please don't hurt me."
35
It reminds us that like our dogs, we live very privileged lives.
8
I feel profoundly sad that animals ever had to come in contact with humans. We are a truly wretched species.
49
I thought the point of the article and the book was on whether or not the village or pariah dog was a superbreed or subspecies not only worthy of study, but possibly holding the key to dog evolution. Most of the comments are about human relationships with pets of strays.
22
The very end of the article contains the comments that people are responding to. Like that it's wrong to "kidnap" and "mutilate" dogs and put them in homes where they are cared for.
Homeless dogs are not a natural thing, and not a separate species. When domesticated species become parasitic it is not a good thing. Not a good thing for them, for humans or for the natural world.
Homeless dogs are not a natural thing, and not a separate species. When domesticated species become parasitic it is not a good thing. Not a good thing for them, for humans or for the natural world.
26
When you have tamed something, said Antoine St. Exupery, you are responsible for it forever after.
That moral imperative is what the commenters are responding to. There is not much intelligent we can say at this point about whether the village dog is a superbreed, subspecies, the key to dog evolution, etc., because the only information the reader has is in the article. Not like, say, an article about the presidential race, where we all have a prior knowledge base we bring to the article.
Our deep knowledge base is, for the most part, with domestic dogs or strays.
On the one hand, this account inspires me with respect for the resilience of the descendants of those once-tamed dogs, who soldier on in spite of man. On the other, we - meaning our species - have unintentionally created a new species, and see our own carelessness as mere nuisance without acknowledging our part in it.
That moral imperative is what the commenters are responding to. There is not much intelligent we can say at this point about whether the village dog is a superbreed, subspecies, the key to dog evolution, etc., because the only information the reader has is in the article. Not like, say, an article about the presidential race, where we all have a prior knowledge base we bring to the article.
Our deep knowledge base is, for the most part, with domestic dogs or strays.
On the one hand, this account inspires me with respect for the resilience of the descendants of those once-tamed dogs, who soldier on in spite of man. On the other, we - meaning our species - have unintentionally created a new species, and see our own carelessness as mere nuisance without acknowledging our part in it.
5
Of course. Most of us have little to say on a subject relatively new and unexplored. And we relate to dogs (and cats) whom we know, not the ones which we do not. And I like a good dog story any time.
1
On a recent work trip to Nicaragua I took my 9 year-old daughter to see the community where I work. She immediately fell in love with a skeletal dog that was panting in pain under a tree. No one seemed to care for it and some locals told us that someone had thrown a rock at it and broke its leg. We took the dog to a vet in Managua where the doctors looked at us like we were from another planet. The dog was in the last stages of advanced distemper. My daughter fed this little dog some French bread with butter for it's last meal and cuddled it just before it was put to sleep. It cost me about $70 - that's about two months salary in the community where I worked. Maybe there is no lesson here except cultural relativity but I don't regret giving that dog some love, food and a good death. We wanted to take it home.
In Africa, where I worked for many years, most people were not kind to village dogs, or donkeys and mules. My landlord broke the back of a dog with a stick for no good reason. It made me leave the country for a few weeks. This was during the Rwandan genocide.
In Africa, where I worked for many years, most people were not kind to village dogs, or donkeys and mules. My landlord broke the back of a dog with a stick for no good reason. It made me leave the country for a few weeks. This was during the Rwandan genocide.
46
@AKSANTACRUZ: Found your comment moving and familiar.Only way to assuage, mitigate your despair is to adopt one of the poor creatures who had the misfortune to be born in such an environment in the NAME of the dog who had its back broken, or died of distemper in your daughter's arms.Saw a lot of that in west AFRICA where, in addition to being the victims of cruelty, dogs left on the street suffered from mange, distemper or other maladies.Recall in particular a beautiful, large dog whom I befriended and who would climb the stairs to my office in downtown Ziguinchor to be fed.. He disappeared one day, and then I saw him weeks later wandering aimlessly and hopelessly in another part of town, obviously suffering from mange, since he had lost most of his fur.But you have to be prepared for such daily tragedies if you decide to work in a developing country, and the only way to counteract your personal melancholy is to do a favor for another vulnerable four legged creature by adopting him or her and returning with the animal to the States.
8
I happen to be living now in the beach town of Jomtien, Thailand. Thousands of street dogs. I live in a very now condo complex, but with vacant lot (site of condo in coming years) next door. Lot of garbage dumped there, with maybe two dozen street dogs. Condo residents have devised a way to feed the puppies, putting food not the other side of a wall that has holes too tiny for full grown dogs. At night, I have heard some terrible fights. the howls of aggressive dogs, the pathetic screams of a loser or two.
They are not aggressive towards humans at all, Great Gods Who Bring Fresh Garbage Every Day, I suppose.
I applaud this study and will try to buy it online.
They are not aggressive towards humans at all, Great Gods Who Bring Fresh Garbage Every Day, I suppose.
I applaud this study and will try to buy it online.
17
If I was captured, leashed, made to live an a cage, and had my testicles cut off I would not consider myself to have been "rescued" from anything. Give me mange, exposed ribs, and self determination any day. A slave will give his freedom for his life and a master will give his life for his freedom.
The American dogs best suited to human companionship are being removed from the gene pool because we quickly sterilize the best adapted pets while leaving only pit bulls and high strung show dogs to reproduce in abundance. I fear for the quality of american dogs as human companions as we breed for the color of coat and not the content of character. The street dogs I have befriended around the globe are all better pets than anything the AKC has ever registered.
The American dogs best suited to human companionship are being removed from the gene pool because we quickly sterilize the best adapted pets while leaving only pit bulls and high strung show dogs to reproduce in abundance. I fear for the quality of american dogs as human companions as we breed for the color of coat and not the content of character. The street dogs I have befriended around the globe are all better pets than anything the AKC has ever registered.
20
I live in a large apartment complex with a dog park. I enjoy seeing the dogs playing every day. I usually sit on a bench so that my old Chihuahua can jump onto my lap after she has finished sniffing her friends and, occasionally, playing or running. Almost every day, friends and I walk our dogs together. I would hate for mine to go a day without interacting with other dogs.
9
I am an avid dog lover, which is why I read this article. But what, exactly, is its point?
On the one hand feral dogs (sorry, "village" dogs) are a treasure-trove of scientific study, but on the other, we should get rid of the garbage and eliminate that trove of dogs?
But what treasures are in that trove?
And why, exactly, should we destroy it?
What happened to the scientific inquiry?
What am I missing here?
On the one hand feral dogs (sorry, "village" dogs) are a treasure-trove of scientific study, but on the other, we should get rid of the garbage and eliminate that trove of dogs?
But what treasures are in that trove?
And why, exactly, should we destroy it?
What happened to the scientific inquiry?
What am I missing here?
35
the point is that it's good to be a Hampshire College Professor.
31
a good dog is a treasure.
24
It is very common to find stray dogs in poor village areas such as in Bangladesh and parts of India, to name a few places. I hear stories of dogs roaming around the streets, sifting through garbage in hope to find some food, and sleeping at a quiet and abandoned place in the village. I know, based on stories from my family and videos posted online, that people living in those areas very rarely care for these dogs, rather they look at them as if they were rodents. Sometimes, they even abuse the poor stray dogs in order to keep them away, and in the worst case scenario they abuse them for their own personal entertainment!. A video my mother showed me had a guy who grabbed a dog by the tail and started spinning it around as the dog whimpered out of fear and pain! Can you imagine that an animal that is dependent on humans being treated like this? It's inhumane. One might argue that since those areas consist of people who live in poverty; however I know those people won't react the same if they were to see a homeless child asking and looking for food. I praise and hope the best for people such as Eldad Hagar and all the organizations that rescue and properly care of homeless dogs.
25
Animal mistreatment says more about the human perpetrators than the need to "rescue" those street dogs. It's simply lack of civilized behavior that is no different toward street animals than house pets.
If people are cruel, that doesn't mean dogs need to be captured and become house bound. It only means these people should be punished.
If people are cruel, that doesn't mean dogs need to be captured and become house bound. It only means these people should be punished.
2
Not all people are cruel, there are people who rescue, shelter, and care for homeless animals until they find a safe place for the pets to spend the rest of their lives. I mentioned village areas because they're very poor, rural areas and people over there often struggle to live, from lack of food to poor education. This could be an assessment as to why people do these cruel things, however this never means one should be cruel to stray, dependent animals. I encourage everyone reading to search up Hope For Paws to see how these people manage to save stray dogs, care for them, and put them into a safe shelter.
2
I would say that the most amazing dog experience among many occurred in Sana Rosalia in tCalifornia Baja Sur MexicO , opposite Guaymas. S.R., as compared to most other towns in BCS is little more than a 100 years old, is built into an arroyo, and only has three avenidas, excepts what's on the bluffs on both sides. It is a French Copper Mining town, the smelter now shut down, and much of the architecture is in the delicate French colonial style, it has an Eifel built cast iron church. When I arrived on Mex I in S.R. one fine morning in the fall of 1991, , arrived at the plaza at the end of the three avenidas and spotted a combination newspaper and tortilla stand, I was amazed to behold a congregation of approximatley 100 of the smallest dogs I had ever seen... many if not most of them descended from the laps of French ladies, but meanwhile showing signs of hybridization with coyotes and what not. Ditto for the town I then lived in for three years, forty miles further south, Mulege, the name of this huge ayunemento/ county that stretches to the Pacific, and I dedicated the first part of my DEVELOPING ACCOUNT OF TIME IN BAJA SUR to one astonishing specimen, a pitbull/ boxer type only about a foot tall, a foot wide but nearly four feet long, whom the Mexicans who love cute names, called TWINKY! - where "Chunky" would have been more appropriate.
8
I grew up in India and I have always pitied the solitary lives of most American dogs. Most owners walk their dogs as fast as possible, rushing them through their business, preventing them from making friends with other dogs, people or new smells that attract their attention. I know many people who should never be allowed to own dogs but do. They are not actively unkind but are house-bound and cannot walk the dog or just seem very neurotic. Yes dogs in India live in the streets, are often hungry and some may be diseased, but they are free in the true sense. One Indian stray I knew would refuse very dry bread and turn up her nose at anything that didn’t meet her exacting taste! Knew a couple of young strays that were simply crazy and ran about all day, making friends with everyone enthusiastically. Many people in India feed dogs and the dogs often hang out in groups near dumpsters and food vendors, looking for scraps. But they live life on their own terms and with plenty of friends and family, something we are all told to aspire to, no?
23
Dogs adapted to interact with and depend on humans. A human who has an loves the dog spends time with the dog. The dog does not suffer from diseases or hunger. That dog is emotionally connected to a human who loves it and plays with it. It's hard to understand how thatcould possibly be worse than foraging in the street in a state of hunger.
26
This is a romantic notion. These dogs suffer at the hands of humans. Humans domesticated dogs and it is our responsibility to provide and care for them.
4
@Kayla: Can't imagine anything so nonsensical to say that stray dogs in the subcontinent live life on their own terms and are free. How do you know? Did they tell you? Stray dogs are free to be mistreated by the populace, die of disease,and or hunger, and lead lives of uncertainty and misery. I can't think of any "developing country " that would even consider establishing an SPCA. In fact many of the Indian and Bangledeshi cab drivers, above all those who are Muslim,will refuse to pick up a passenger seen with a dog. In the Muslim world, dogs are considered "haram," or forbidden creatures, and are treated accordingly,that is to say mistreated. Western world is not perfect when it comes to being benevolent to stray animals, but we in the First and Second worlds at least know the meaning of altruism as it applies to canine creatures. Since you write from NJ where presumably you reside, you might consider adopting a dog yourself,preferably from a shelter. He or she might turn out to be a very loyal companion. Late President Harry TRUMAN always said that if you want a friend in WASHINGTON, adopt A DOG.
4
"But really, Dr. Coppinger says, it is the dogs who adopt humans."
One Sunday morning, I was walking past my back door when I spotted a mid-sized, shaggy, black and white dog sitting patiently on the porch. He seemed like a friendly little guy, and within two minutes I decided that if his owner couldn't be found, he would be mine. That was five years ago, almost to the day, and since then Stanley has been my dearest companion and loving friend. And yes I believe that Stanley adopted me.
One Sunday morning, I was walking past my back door when I spotted a mid-sized, shaggy, black and white dog sitting patiently on the porch. He seemed like a friendly little guy, and within two minutes I decided that if his owner couldn't be found, he would be mine. That was five years ago, almost to the day, and since then Stanley has been my dearest companion and loving friend. And yes I believe that Stanley adopted me.
69
Had it been a toddler, you would have called the authorities. The difference? Dogs can't talk human, or have driver licenses, so they can manipulate with impunity. Dogs indeed adopt people, that's their genetic predisposition, thousands of years in the making. As I said to my sister, years ago, do you understand how much life you are not living by limiting your social interaction to a creature descended from an animal who considers you food?
2
Many years ago, we were adopted by a little white five month-old puppy who decided to wander onto our front yard and would not leave. So we did the right thing. We posted signs all over the neighborhood, and his owner drove by a couple of hours later and saw her dog. She saw the way that the little white puppy was interacting with my daughter and said that we could keep him. Why? Well, apparently, the little white puppy didn't like leftover Chinese food which seemed to have been a staple at their house. Best dog ever, and eight years after he passed, he is still greatly missed. (Good thing that our current dog can't read because if she heard me say that out loud, her feelings would be hurt.)
5
But it wasn't a toddler, so . . . . ?
2
I don't get to pay tribute to my mother much, so I would like to take this opportunity to do so. My mom has been cooking for approximately 50 stray dogs all over Penang, Malaysia for almost 30 years now. Rain or shine. She will go to the market and collect all the leftover meat from butchers, and she would cook at least 5 batches of food every evening, wrap them individually in newspaper, and the next morning just go to 4-5 of her favorites spots where she knows many stray dogs lingers. She feeds them, clean up after them, and sometimes she even take some sick/injured ones to the vet, out of her own pocket. 30 years. Never an excuse. If she is sick, then others in the family takes over.
Some people think they love dogs because they show up in dog shows, parading the pure bred. I think one would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated, true-to-her-heart dog lover than my mother. Thank you mom. I love you.
Some people think they love dogs because they show up in dog shows, parading the pure bred. I think one would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated, true-to-her-heart dog lover than my mother. Thank you mom. I love you.
406
Your mother sounds like an extremely good-hearted woman. You are very lucky. And it's great that your mom got vet care for some of her little doggies.
But what is really needed is an actual solution to the problem of homeless dogs. Since they can be sterilized, it would be possible to eliminate this problem. Not like human problems, is it? It would be pretty easy to solve.
Wouldn't it be great to see what the natural world is really like without the interference of native species-devouring homeless dogs?
But what is really needed is an actual solution to the problem of homeless dogs. Since they can be sterilized, it would be possible to eliminate this problem. Not like human problems, is it? It would be pretty easy to solve.
Wouldn't it be great to see what the natural world is really like without the interference of native species-devouring homeless dogs?
2
Acts of kindness are never wasted. Namaste.
21
What a wonderful person your mother is
7
When I was deployed to Kabul Afghanistan I observed a group of feral or pariah dogs that resided on the campus of the Ministry of Agriculture. They lived pretty good off the available garbage and their major problems were rampant distemper and other diseases. They largely ignored humans who tolerated their presence. I took one back with me to the US and he remains quite a special dog. I'm glad someone is noticing them and beginning to study their sociology and relationships with humans. I wish more countries would engage with spade and release programs. Eliminating garbage will only result in more suffering dogs and cats.
33
Eliminating garbage will reduce dog/cat populations due to the natural laws of natural selection: survival of the fittest. A population can only maintain it's size and/or grow if the food is proportionally available.
6
I do not agree with referring to village or stray dogs as "scavengers." They are simply innocent animals that depend on humans for food, shelter and safety. They are wild as wolves and dingos. Therefore, dogs depend on the generosity of humans. Every dog wants a home where there is food, shelter and love. The solution is not less garbage. While, we people exist, there will be garbage. The solution is to neuter them to decrease the population and to prevent the death of pups. Eventually, in an idealistic but surreal world, all dogs should have a home because they deserve it as any other being on earth.
18
These animals are not poor and defenseless that need to be rescued. I grew up among packs of feral dogs and night hunting cats. Not dogs nor cats are pets. They are animals perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and earning their fair place in their local human communities. Some are comfortable moving in with their favorite people but still need to go out and about as they please. They need their freedom as much as we do.
8
This is unrealistic in terms of public health, rabies, bites, and animal suffering.
5
I believe my dogs--both rescued in dire states of bad health, both happy now--belong WITH me but not TO me.
I do not "own" my dogs. I share my life with them. They are their own dogs, and I'll always respect their animal spirit that way.
I will always rescue, never buy, never breed. That is the best I can do at an individual level, apart from small donations to support shelters.
Dogs deserve our love as well as our respect, as the oldest domesticated species, our co-walkers through time for thousands of years. Blessings on Dogs!
I do not "own" my dogs. I share my life with them. They are their own dogs, and I'll always respect their animal spirit that way.
I will always rescue, never buy, never breed. That is the best I can do at an individual level, apart from small donations to support shelters.
Dogs deserve our love as well as our respect, as the oldest domesticated species, our co-walkers through time for thousands of years. Blessings on Dogs!
47
There were so many starving dogs in Greece I never visited again.
16
I have a dog in my home, and for the past several years I have also taken care of another dog that comes to my door for food and affection. I also take her to the vet when required. This completely black female stray dog is very friendly and affectionate to people and other dogs. She has lived in the area for many years and every neighbor loves her. "Cholita" (Spanish for "the little black one") has become "the neighborhood pet". I doubt she could get used to just one master and spend her days in just one yard. Cholita is absolutely free.
14
No photographs of street dogs with mange? I wonder how they could have been missed, it's so common. In Guatemala I saw a mangy dog whose skin was peeling off, a bloody mess. Shocked, I turned to the couple walking behind me. Was there anyone to call? No, they said.
26
All in all a most interesting story.
As the employer of five Anatolian Shepherd Guardian dogs over the past twenty years (protecting our alpaca herd from cougars, coyotes and dog packs here in the Cascade Mountains) I must quibble with the author. Mr. Gorman writes (of the Coppingers):
"They brought some home and helped develop the Anatolian shepherd breed in the United States, and started a livestock guarding-dog project at Hampshire to study how effective dogs were in protecting sheep and other livestock."
Anatolian Shepherds (virtually unchanged) were on the job protecting flocks of various sorts in the mountains of what is modern day Turkey 4,000 years before Christ. Unless the author means "developing" as "promoting," no one in North America had a hand in "developing 'Tolies." A six-thousand year old field trial still needs a study?
These are not pets...they are big (My Michael [the Archangel] would put his paws on my shoulders and stand 5'9" if he was an inch), strong, incredibly intelligent and independent (not a good combination if you want "fetch" pet).
They are loyal to a fault and will protect their charges literally to the death.
We are now blessed with Uriel [of the Flaming Sword] and her apprentice Raphael [Protector of Travelers] overseeing our herd.
If you want to explore the amazing capacities of canines...learn about Anatolians...but don't expect a snuggle toy. They were already well "developed" way before the Pilgrims, kids.
As the employer of five Anatolian Shepherd Guardian dogs over the past twenty years (protecting our alpaca herd from cougars, coyotes and dog packs here in the Cascade Mountains) I must quibble with the author. Mr. Gorman writes (of the Coppingers):
"They brought some home and helped develop the Anatolian shepherd breed in the United States, and started a livestock guarding-dog project at Hampshire to study how effective dogs were in protecting sheep and other livestock."
Anatolian Shepherds (virtually unchanged) were on the job protecting flocks of various sorts in the mountains of what is modern day Turkey 4,000 years before Christ. Unless the author means "developing" as "promoting," no one in North America had a hand in "developing 'Tolies." A six-thousand year old field trial still needs a study?
These are not pets...they are big (My Michael [the Archangel] would put his paws on my shoulders and stand 5'9" if he was an inch), strong, incredibly intelligent and independent (not a good combination if you want "fetch" pet).
They are loyal to a fault and will protect their charges literally to the death.
We are now blessed with Uriel [of the Flaming Sword] and her apprentice Raphael [Protector of Travelers] overseeing our herd.
If you want to explore the amazing capacities of canines...learn about Anatolians...but don't expect a snuggle toy. They were already well "developed" way before the Pilgrims, kids.
36
The Coppingers are crazy if they think that taking homeless dogs from places like Puerto Rico and placing them in American homes is bad for them. Homeless Caribbean dogs are routinely poisoned, kicked, cut apart while mating and worse. The privation and brutality these dogs endure is beyond all understanding. And strangely enough, many of them easily forgive and go on to make great companion animals.
The problem of dogs without homes could be solved because they can be sterilized. And this is not "mutilation". Really, what good does it do to have these human creations living miserable, short lives eating garbage and decimating as much native wildlife as they can get their teeth on?
The Coppingers made their living from studying these miserable creatures, good for them. But I would not take such work even if it meant I would be as impoverished as a homeless dog. They reached no profound conclusions - everything described in the article is common sense. Idiotic waste of money. Why not try to restore some kind of natural balance instead?
The problem of dogs without homes could be solved because they can be sterilized. And this is not "mutilation". Really, what good does it do to have these human creations living miserable, short lives eating garbage and decimating as much native wildlife as they can get their teeth on?
The Coppingers made their living from studying these miserable creatures, good for them. But I would not take such work even if it meant I would be as impoverished as a homeless dog. They reached no profound conclusions - everything described in the article is common sense. Idiotic waste of money. Why not try to restore some kind of natural balance instead?
40
A "billion dogs on Earth" would have a carbon footprint of about a billion automobiles, according to an article published in the NYT several years ago.
4
How many humans are sick and hungry when we spend billions on dogs?
2
It's a dog eat garbage world out there.
2
Self domestication makes perfect sense. The alternative is some hunter gatherer running across an abandoned wolf cub one day and saying- "hey I bet I can train that because wolves in general are so friendly and obedient"
Much more likely he (or she) would vacate ASAP (mother wolf in vicinity?) or, if feeling lucky, have a little something for dinner.
Much more likely he (or she) would vacate ASAP (mother wolf in vicinity?) or, if feeling lucky, have a little something for dinner.
2
Time to dust off "Call of the Wild" and "White Fang." Jack London was observing doges closely more than 100 years ago, and it will be interesting to see how his unscientific account compares to the Coppingers'.
10
I have two pet Labradors, a brother and sister, whom I treat as my own adopted children. We also spend much of the year in a tiny village in a "developing country" where there are "village dogs" of various kinds. They are playful, non-menacing and, unlike my two, have not been "fixed."
My boy Labrador reacted very poorly to his being neutered at eight months. He had been playful and social with other dogs until then, but then suddenly became fearful of other dogs and became highly incensed if a dog dared to smell his privates. After years of work, he has adjusted and become social again. The girl Labrador never exhibited any apparent stress from her surgery, but she has never known the joy and love of raising a litter of her own.
I understand that if my boy dog had gone around impregnating female dogs in heat, and if my girl dog had given birth to successive litters, they likely would have procreated dogs who would then have suffered in abject misery. That is why I had them fixed. We avoided this tragedy.
But what would have happened to my parents, if they had castrated me when I was age ten and had involved me in emotional distress for a significant part of my youth?
I speak from a lifetime of observation and learning when I say that the world would be a far, far better place if we had only 750 million humans and nine billion dogs. Sadly for all creatures, the numbers are reversed. Man is not a bad creature, only too numerous and too successful for our common good.
My boy Labrador reacted very poorly to his being neutered at eight months. He had been playful and social with other dogs until then, but then suddenly became fearful of other dogs and became highly incensed if a dog dared to smell his privates. After years of work, he has adjusted and become social again. The girl Labrador never exhibited any apparent stress from her surgery, but she has never known the joy and love of raising a litter of her own.
I understand that if my boy dog had gone around impregnating female dogs in heat, and if my girl dog had given birth to successive litters, they likely would have procreated dogs who would then have suffered in abject misery. That is why I had them fixed. We avoided this tragedy.
But what would have happened to my parents, if they had castrated me when I was age ten and had involved me in emotional distress for a significant part of my youth?
I speak from a lifetime of observation and learning when I say that the world would be a far, far better place if we had only 750 million humans and nine billion dogs. Sadly for all creatures, the numbers are reversed. Man is not a bad creature, only too numerous and too successful for our common good.
12
Interesting points. Humans must have family planning lest we allow Malthus to come to fruition. But to keep the focus on dogs, who don't practice birth control , there is a difference: while both hounds and humans live in packs, it is only the humans whose exercise of free will enables them the choice of good or evil.
Can we please get past the idea that a dog would be permanently scarred by being "neutered at 8 months". No, your dog doesn't miss his parts. He does not need them to maintain an intimate relationship with the love of his life. He is not you. Get over it.
11
Agree with KK7555. Stop anthromorphizing dogs. Dogs do not" love" their offspring like we love our children. Street dogs with puppies to care for are usually grossly underweight and stressed. Nor should one project one animal's reaction to neutering to the whole species. The majority of vets will tell you that the majority of dogs benefit from spaying or neutering. Where we live In Arizona, unwanted puppies are often dumped in the desert to die of thirst, hunger or predation--by wild animals or humans. Please don't tell me that female dogs need the "joy" of giving birth.
9
I live this article. That is how I found my Gypsy Rosalee Madame Gezundheit on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike. She was just hanging out skinny and filthy. We put her in the back of our old Chevy pickup truck. My grandmother was horrified so she stayed in a box in the apt building garage until we took her to my Dad who fixed her up. She had a crippled front paw but got around just fine. She came to class with me at Penn State and was one fine dog.
24
In full disclosure I'm a cat person. But I would never talk about dogs the way the Coppingers do. If you love your pets how can you only remember the bad ones? I've had good cats, great cats and so so cats. I've never had a bad cat. They were all awesome and annoying in their own way and I loved the joy and companionship they brought me. I can't see telling stories about cats and only brining up the bad stuff.
As for mutilation what a misguided short sighted way to see rescue groups. They would prefer that the litters starve to death or win the cuteness lottery and have a human take to feeding them rather than to have these dogs spayed/neutered and given a good home. I give to charities that help spay and release cats because I do care about cats.
I know I'm a cat person. I don't know what the Coppingers are but one thing is for sure they are not dog people.
As for mutilation what a misguided short sighted way to see rescue groups. They would prefer that the litters starve to death or win the cuteness lottery and have a human take to feeding them rather than to have these dogs spayed/neutered and given a good home. I give to charities that help spay and release cats because I do care about cats.
I know I'm a cat person. I don't know what the Coppingers are but one thing is for sure they are not dog people.
36
Wait. They had 100 dogs at one time? Don't most counties have animal hoarding laws?
8
in the 60's........and they were sled dogs
1
55,000 human deaths every year from rabies. 15,000,000 humans get rabies shots every year after being bitten. 99% of human infections are from dog bites. There is nothing cute about the worldwide infestation of feral dogs.
27
Agreed. It is interesting this article does not reference further the mentioned "social costs", the public heath risk, and the safety nuisance that feral cats, wild dogs, and "street" monkeys (India comes to mind) pose, particularly to young children.
10
Who said there was something cute about infestation of rabies?
6
In 1970 my family spent six weeks with my grandmother in Athens, Greece. My siblings and I missed our pet dog very much and my dad convinced a neighborhood/village dog (by way of some good meals, I am sure) to be our play mate for the duration of our visit. We even gave him a name, Ruli.
The neighbors thought it was strange for people to keep a dog as a pet. Ruli was allowed in my Yaya's yard, but not in the house. After our visit ended, Ruli went back to making the rounds in the neighborhood, getting handouts from here and there. No more silly American kids to sing to him and pet and kiss him. No bowl of his own. Still count him among my beloved pets.
The neighbors thought it was strange for people to keep a dog as a pet. Ruli was allowed in my Yaya's yard, but not in the house. After our visit ended, Ruli went back to making the rounds in the neighborhood, getting handouts from here and there. No more silly American kids to sing to him and pet and kiss him. No bowl of his own. Still count him among my beloved pets.
22
This is one book I will be reading soon. I have seen these dogs in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Perhaps luckily, I have never been threatened by these dogs. As I read this article I thought (the crazy thought): what if all those white tail deer in my yard "knew" how to act like puppies!
In the US we have stray dogs. It is a problem. In other parts of the world dogs are like the white tail deer in the US, an animal that lives with and around us!
In the US we have stray dogs. It is a problem. In other parts of the world dogs are like the white tail deer in the US, an animal that lives with and around us!
3
Big difference: Bambi is hunted. Dogs, no.
During a trip that included visits to both Turkey and Greece, I noticed one striking contrast: Turkish cities were inhabited by a large number of solitary feral cats, while Greek cites such as Athens were awash in packs of aggressive feral dogs. Any theories?
2
I believe souvlaki and kebabs are implicated.
7
I think some cultures don't think of dogs as pets. See my earlier comment about our neighborhood dog during our visit to Athens. Greeks went through some hard times feeding themselves during the German occupation and the Greek Civil War afterward. A pet dog would be a strain on the food supply. Outside of Athens, I saw dogs on a farm, but even there they were work animals, not pets.
3
I lived in China, two countries in Africa, Germany, Kosovo, and Austria. Only in Kosovo did I encounter "packs," but I let my dog, a corgi, play freely with them. No issues. I was walking my dog one morning and found that one of his favorite playmates had died in the last 24 hours, and our guards and the locals had just left him laying there. Local government had no resources to pick animals up, so you can imagine the disease potential. I ended up going back to my house, getting a large plastic bag, carefully wrapping him up, and taking it to the side of yard where I knew our garbage contractor would pick him up.
Kosov had one vet for the entire country, due to the civil war. Many of the dogs banded together because they were family pets who were left behind when their owners fled the violence. In many cases, they still had tattered collars on. When I left, there were people who were trying to establish a shelter in the capital, Pristina, and many of the Other Europeans donated money for basic care. The shelter's business model also including running a boarding facility for pets with the profit to reach out more and.ore.
Fear of dogs spread by irresponsible persons caused children in my neighborhood to throw rocks at my dog even though he was on a leash with me.
I'm glad cooler heads are examining the issue. I can only imagine the outrage if someone said we should round up all the stray cats and neuter them, or demand they be "controlled."
Kosov had one vet for the entire country, due to the civil war. Many of the dogs banded together because they were family pets who were left behind when their owners fled the violence. In many cases, they still had tattered collars on. When I left, there were people who were trying to establish a shelter in the capital, Pristina, and many of the Other Europeans donated money for basic care. The shelter's business model also including running a boarding facility for pets with the profit to reach out more and.ore.
Fear of dogs spread by irresponsible persons caused children in my neighborhood to throw rocks at my dog even though he was on a leash with me.
I'm glad cooler heads are examining the issue. I can only imagine the outrage if someone said we should round up all the stray cats and neuter them, or demand they be "controlled."
7
Isn't that exactly what 'trap, spay & release" cat organizations & volunteers do?
3
I suspect that the domestication of wolves/development of dogs involved wolves hanging around human bands to scavenge from kills - there were a lot of leftovers when aboriginal hunters stampeded a herd of mammoths or bison over a cliff. Of course, humans scavenged from wolf kills, too. Besides scavenging, many predators benefit from other predators' hunting and they learn to coordinate their activities, if not fully cooperate. Commensal proto-cooperation would have benefitted both wolves and humans, creating selection on both species for working effectively together, and perhaps fending off other scavengers/predators from kill sites. In fact, Dr. Pat Shipman has argued that H. sapiens outcompeted Neanderthals because our modern human ancestors had dogs, making them more effective hunters. Given the horrific efficacy of war dogs against a human foe, perhaps H. sapiens even had canine help in hunting down and eating Neanderthals.
4
I think we humans tend to jump at empathy first & thinking later. Coppinger is trying to disconnect from empathy that can be blinding & think about dogs in a different way than many of us do. This will be hard for some of course. I sort of take a middle of the road, I love my dogs..however I spent a year in St. Martin as a cook & would come across a number of ferals/street dogs as I walked home. Like other animals, they do their part. Be it eating trash, road kill or the occasional hunt of a cat. Feral cats do their job in killing mice & rats. They do kill way too many birds. I'm all for the idea of rewilding in a certain aspect. Introduce mountain lions where wild boars are problematic. Introduce wolves to compete with Coyotes & to act as competitors against mountain lions. Also..to deal with deer since they generally hunt/kill the younger deers which hunters typically don't. Killing the younger deers will have more impact on the population than the older ones being knocked off; there is an interesting ted talk on this (https://www.ted.com/talks/george_monbiot_for_more_wonder_rewild_the_worl.... Street dogs might not be able to compete against coyotes or wolves but would work to compete against feral cats. Though if the stories about the Coydog are true then perhaps naturally the street dogs just end up breeding with the coyotes. Either or..I think while it's good we are empathic we need to realize the benefit of rewilding some.
3
Interesting. I brought my two dogs here from St. Martin. The entire litter and mom were adopted off-island.
My husband had a real estate project that he spent many years working on and I saw some pretty deplorable behavior where the dogs were concerned. I saw many seasonal visitors buy pure bred dogs to have as pets while they were on island and then abandon those dogs when they went back to their countries in Europe. This significantly contributed to the stray population and is an incredibly irresponsible way to behave.
That aside, rabies, etc. was not a problem and getting dogs off island is simple because many of the caribbean nations are rabies-free states. So, feral animals don't have to mean rabies...
My husband had a real estate project that he spent many years working on and I saw some pretty deplorable behavior where the dogs were concerned. I saw many seasonal visitors buy pure bred dogs to have as pets while they were on island and then abandon those dogs when they went back to their countries in Europe. This significantly contributed to the stray population and is an incredibly irresponsible way to behave.
That aside, rabies, etc. was not a problem and getting dogs off island is simple because many of the caribbean nations are rabies-free states. So, feral animals don't have to mean rabies...
2
I'm not trying to defend abandonment but trying to say allowing some wild feral dogs is an ok thing. Abandonment to me is different. Most of the dogs I saw were mixed, not at all purebreds. I did come across a Saint Bernard once and took it to a friend who worked for a vet there. They couldn't find the owner so he took the Saint Bernard in and eventually back home to Vermont (a much more suitable environment certainly.) Abandonment deserves the outrage it gets and people caught should be held responsible to the maximum extent the law allows. That said, again the feral packs I saw were not purebreds, seem to be truly feral at least for that generation. Islands are different than mainland. Maybe the dogs are more problematic on the island. The mainlands we have the image of suburbia; the image of wild packs of dogs roaming the playgrounds that kids enjoy time on is not one that is too appealing to many parents. That said, I think some return of wildness is a good thing. Either or I'm not trying to defend abandonment and apologies if that's how my original comment came off.
1
It would be interesting to understand how the Coppinger's feel about the Dog meat trade in Asian countries. Dogs raised in cruel confinement, tortured and killed as food for human consumption. There are international rescue groups, and local groups as well, who rescue these dogs from their horrific and brutal lives.
5
How about we rescue veal calves, lambs and pigs from their horrific and brutal lives in the good ol' US of A?
7
I can't be the only one who found it bizarre that Dr. Coppinger refers to spay/neuter as mutilation, but it makes it clear what his bias is and why his opinion on rescue is self-serving. He's a scientist by and a breeder by choice and he's looking at these dogs as a study population. Only from that standpoint could spay/neuter be seen as "mutilation," because it disrupts natural behaviors. A rescuer isn't concerned with dispassionately observing natural behavior, she (generally) is concerned with alleviating suffering. Rescuers aren't looking to increase the study population, or to observe mating-related aggression, or to study the development, weaning and likely death of litter after litter of unwanted puppies (or kittens). They want to do what they can to stop suffering and death. They want to discourage mass poisonings, dogs being killed by cars, or dying of starvation, parasites or disease...while the scientists watch them and do nothing.
You might as well ask a scientist who practices vivisection his or her opinion on rat and mouse welfare.
You might as well ask a scientist who practices vivisection his or her opinion on rat and mouse welfare.
83
Thank you for your post! I was getting frustrated and irritated reading this piece and your reply said what I was thinking but so rationally.
20
Yes, well said. The compassion element seems to be somewhat missing with these folks. If they'd look at these animals as living beings that feel pain, experience fear etc., instead of scientific subjects, perhaps a different opinion would emerge.
One spay/neuter can prevent so many unwanted pups and much unnecessary suffering, the benefits are enormous.
One spay/neuter can prevent so many unwanted pups and much unnecessary suffering, the benefits are enormous.
5
Feral dogs are like rats out of control. here in Mexico they often run in packs, attacking children and senior citizens on occasion. The Mexican governments are incompetent and corrupt; as are most worldwide (2015 Transparency International). If the world's birth rate can't be controlled and people given basic social services, what could one expect with animal control?
Dogs pretty much are a macho thing; as most societies are patriarchal, a dog is "man's best friend". But, a "cute, cuddly" puppy becomes a dog, and needs resources and attention. It then no longer gets fed and wanders into the street to join the burgeoning mass of feral dogs. Feral dogs are a health problem; one needs to think of their fecal matter as breeding grounds for flies, the attacks on people, vermin transmitted to domesticated pets, and fecundity.
Solution? At its annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2010, calls were sent out for research and development of a spay/neuter substance that could be introduced into the feral dog food supply. Perhaps among this readership one will pick up the baton and run with it. Agreed, long-term, simply picking up these animals en masse and disposing of them is only a temporary solution, as with a rat population. Neither does poisoning them, for the same reason. “Education”? In the US, spay-neuter clinics, health departments, and animal advocacy groups all have tried.
Anyone out there up to the AAAS challenge?
Dogs pretty much are a macho thing; as most societies are patriarchal, a dog is "man's best friend". But, a "cute, cuddly" puppy becomes a dog, and needs resources and attention. It then no longer gets fed and wanders into the street to join the burgeoning mass of feral dogs. Feral dogs are a health problem; one needs to think of their fecal matter as breeding grounds for flies, the attacks on people, vermin transmitted to domesticated pets, and fecundity.
Solution? At its annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2010, calls were sent out for research and development of a spay/neuter substance that could be introduced into the feral dog food supply. Perhaps among this readership one will pick up the baton and run with it. Agreed, long-term, simply picking up these animals en masse and disposing of them is only a temporary solution, as with a rat population. Neither does poisoning them, for the same reason. “Education”? In the US, spay-neuter clinics, health departments, and animal advocacy groups all have tried.
Anyone out there up to the AAAS challenge?
12
Rescue groups in the Caribbean "kidnap and mutilate" street dogs? "Kidnap and mutilate?"
Unlike the Coppingers comfortably and smugly parked in their wealthy academic enclave in Massachusetts, with free-flowing cash for vets and governmental animal services always on call, I live in the Caribbean. Those dogs that are fortunate enough to be "kidnapped and mutilated" (by mutilation I assume the good doctor means neutering), and then sent to loving and attentive homes on the mainland if not adopted here, avoid the usual fate of unwanted island dogs -- as training bait in dogfighting, starvation, death from painful illnesses and automobile accidents, being shot for harassing livestock and people, more starvation and random cruelties.
Whatever the Coppingers' accomplishments, avoiding a breathtaking (and interestingly geographically focused) cruelty and arrogance is not one of them.
Unlike the Coppingers comfortably and smugly parked in their wealthy academic enclave in Massachusetts, with free-flowing cash for vets and governmental animal services always on call, I live in the Caribbean. Those dogs that are fortunate enough to be "kidnapped and mutilated" (by mutilation I assume the good doctor means neutering), and then sent to loving and attentive homes on the mainland if not adopted here, avoid the usual fate of unwanted island dogs -- as training bait in dogfighting, starvation, death from painful illnesses and automobile accidents, being shot for harassing livestock and people, more starvation and random cruelties.
Whatever the Coppingers' accomplishments, avoiding a breathtaking (and interestingly geographically focused) cruelty and arrogance is not one of them.
101
Along the beaches in Goa, India, there used to be locals who walked the beach selling trinkets and fruit, or just betting, among the tourists. The government then banned the tourist trade and beggars. Now the beaches are overrun by vast numbers of "village dogs" who are fed by the tourists by day, and who disappear behind the sand dunes at night.
I have seen some of those dogs become what i'd describe as "blanket companions;" they join tourists who lay down a blanket for their time at the beach, and the dogs are usually rewarded with food and affection. They also do guard duty over the blanket. When I've asked "Is that your dog," the tourists invariably laughed and answered "no, it just came here and sat down."
I have seen some of those dogs become what i'd describe as "blanket companions;" they join tourists who lay down a blanket for their time at the beach, and the dogs are usually rewarded with food and affection. They also do guard duty over the blanket. When I've asked "Is that your dog," the tourists invariably laughed and answered "no, it just came here and sat down."
50
Less garbage means fewer dogs because ...village dogs will continue to procreate but will die off from starvation as the carrying capacity of the garbage dumps is reduced. The price of reducing their numbers perhaps. But Ghandi's street dogs will still be frightfully gaunt and sore ridden bless them.
Here's a thought or two ---dog food and accessory companies should redirect part of their profits to village dogs--including neutering. And there should be a stigma to buying non-rescue dogs until we've reduce the numbers to replacement and there are no more kill shelters. As for Westminster, we need a new category--village dogs, mutts---sorted perhaps by size. And every kid and old person should have the constitutional right to a dog and vice-versa. This could be justified as a huge social experiment to see if we can't learn to treat each other better. My dogs have always been rescues and while Freckles my beloved hound dog drives me nuts with his incessant barking it is a very small price to pay for what he gives back to our family.
Here's a thought or two ---dog food and accessory companies should redirect part of their profits to village dogs--including neutering. And there should be a stigma to buying non-rescue dogs until we've reduce the numbers to replacement and there are no more kill shelters. As for Westminster, we need a new category--village dogs, mutts---sorted perhaps by size. And every kid and old person should have the constitutional right to a dog and vice-versa. This could be justified as a huge social experiment to see if we can't learn to treat each other better. My dogs have always been rescues and while Freckles my beloved hound dog drives me nuts with his incessant barking it is a very small price to pay for what he gives back to our family.
23
"Puppies [garbage dump ones]...have a true superpower in reserve...that can help them escape their fate [of starvation, due to adult dogs taking everything]. They can convince a human to feed them."
_____________________
Awww. I luv dogs. They have always been my "favourite people."
_____________________
Awww. I luv dogs. They have always been my "favourite people."
10
In the late 1980s I was living in Indonesia, studying music. My teacher would complain about all the village dogs. He hated the dogs. He would chase them out of his compound. He'd throw rocks and sticks at them. One day, I arrived for my lesson to find that he had adopted a dog! When I asked him about this he said that all the village dogs were having territorial wars over his yard. He decided to get a dog to keep all the other dogs out of his yard. I suspect the opposite, the dogs had evolved a very successful strategy to get themselves adopted by humans.
16
I love the idea that dogs came into being following contact with persons. It puts us in our place and dissolves the whole "man (sic) creates" the world idea. Dogs seem to have figured out how to act into our contexts, and the in the process, created themselves.
8
There is no mention anywhere of the devastating impact of packs of "village" dogs on vulnerable wildlife. I'm struck by how much animal lovers defend the hapless dogs, yet are unaware of the predations of those dogs on a wide variety of wildlife, including otters, foxes, large mammals like gazelles and saiga, and small mammals that serve as prey species for other wild animals. Sometime wildlife are eaten, and sometimes just harassed, making it less likely that they will thrive. Wild youngsters are especially at risk. Transmission of diseases is another issue. Yes, less garbage, and less sympathetic feeding of feral dogs, and more awareness of the broad negative impacts of that fee-ranging dog packs can have..
20
What a horrible ending. Made me not want to buy the book. I'll go to the library and send the money I saved to the (transparent) organisations that help streetdogs.
I hope ethical scientists can get more funding with crowdfunding.
p.s. There are no "bad dogs". There is only bad projection.
I hope ethical scientists can get more funding with crowdfunding.
p.s. There are no "bad dogs". There is only bad projection.
8
I travel extensively in Latin America. Wherever I go, with one exception, there are hordes of "village dogs" and usually garbage in the street. The one exception is Cuba where I saw no such dogs and, by the same token, no garbage in the street. Whatever one thinks of Cuba the two conditions seems to be an improvement over what happens elsewhere. It is distressing to see dogs that are emaciated and diseased wandering around and sometimes being hit by oncoming vehicles. On one occasion a dog with scraggly fur was hit near where I was. I heard the thud but not see the accident. The dog refused water, food, or other help and I watched it die. It's nice to know that a reduction in garbage will reduce the number of "village dogs." Whether or not that is feasible is a question.
14
Please pick a different word besides "haunt" in the third body of texts. These stray dogs are not evil ghosts or demons.
18
I agree completely
4
When I was writing my recent book "Rescue Road" I spent time in Houston's 5th Ward, ground zero for that city's massive stray population estimated to be more than one million. It didn't look like the city had picked up the trash there in months, so the insight that garbage correlates to large populations of strays has some merit. But there are also countless dogs that suffer, both here in the U.S. and elsewhere, and through rescue efforts find wonderful homes. Lives of desperation and suffering are transformed.
21
While I love my dogs and have rescued quite a few strays in my day, I always think about the horrible inhumane conditions of so many humans in this country and around the world...like the mentally ill, impoverished ,elderly . IMO you can judge a culture by its treatment of the most vulnerable humans AND animals...and the US is failing miserably I'm afraid.
37
Shelties. I had a Shetland Sheep Dog "Bandit" who went to work with me. When the shift ended he would run around the employees going to the parking area and herd them to to their cars. He had almost endless energy, I'd ride my bike to exercise him.
19
Dog is God spelled backwards.
61
Dog is my co- pilot. Actual bumper sticker on the car of a former chaplain and professor of religious studies where I worked.
2
I visited Punta Arenas, Chile 5 years ago and had my first introduction to village dogs. I was struck that these dogs were relatively gentle and did not seem threatening in any way. I was also struck that the homeless dogs and clearly pet dogs would hang out at unofficial dog parks without apparent social bias. The collared dogs interacted with their less fortunate siblings on an equal footing in a way that would make Bernie Sanders proud. Finally, and most touching, the street dogs seemed to adopt walking humans for a few blocks walking stride for stride before breaking off. I interpreted their actions as saying, "Look at me, I have an owner!", if even just for a few moments.
139
I too have had these "village dogs" walk with me, however, I think they walk with us to see if there is a chance at getting a meal.
5
A good story could be written about where EU funds to neuter and release dogs winds up going. I have seen street dogs in Moldova, who are used to guard building sites and which bond to particular builders. After the building is finished, the dogs are thrown out and now roam in packs. Admittedly they can look pretty happy. Supposedly there is a catch and release program, but the money mysteriously disappeared and, instead, poison is occasionally put out for the animals.
3
Why no mention of the many dogs without collars in the impoverished regions of the United States? In downtown Tuscaloosa, Ala., there is a baseball field near the river. While living there and working as a newspaper reporter, I often caught glimpses of small packs of abandoned dogs living behind that baseball field. I rescued three of them and my heart broke when I moved away and could no longer help others. I wish I could have done more.
43
@Stephanie. Touching story.In 2005 was assigned to Boke,in Guinea as teacher trainer at the Ecole Normale d'Instituteurs(ENI) to prep adults seeking certification to teach at the ecole primaire level.Wife Juliana and I were housed in a decaying villa overlooking Rio Nunez, which led straight up to Timbuktu.Living conditions were deplorable. No electricity, often no running water,"chauves souris"hanging from the rafters.But what is it about GUINEA that spoils you for living in any other African country?If you walked along the river bank, you saw ruins of "comptoirs"built the century before. Above us in the villa lived a Lebanese businessman, Adna , who had a dog and her pups.Adna seldom fed them, and when he left, the mother adopted me and would follow me unleashed to town. Each night she and her pups would come onto the porch, each day inching closer to the door of the villa. Broke my heart to leave them, but since I had already adopted one and taken her to the states, taking the mother and her brood would have been impossible.To this day she and her little family r engraved in my memory. Cannot think of a sadder experience, which haunts me still.:Would have, should have, could have!
4
You also see many packs near Indian reservations.
1
This article explains my Golden Retriever's uncanny ability to open a closed garbage can drawer with his nose in order to pillage our trash.
45
We have a young dog that was once a stray, and has unlimited food, water, play toys, and several beds. But she still devours anything she finds on the ground, no matter how rotten, eats dead birds, and makes a bee-line for the dumpster every chance she gets! I guess we can take the dog out of being a stray but not the stray out of the dog!
14
We have a young dog who was never a stray who does the exact same thing. Our dog is a purebred, but a parvovirus survivor dumped at an animal hospital by a unscrupulous puppy mill breeder who didn't want to pay for the dog's care. Milo Foundation, a northern California dog and cat rescue operation took him from the hospital and we adopted him. Going after garbage/street food, in my experience, is something a lot of dogs with owners and, one would think, plenty of food, just seem to do.
3
My dog does that too, and she was never a stray.
3
It's interesting there's a huge global population of "village" dogs. That goes for rats and cockroaches too. All these scavange off human food waste. Given a general decline of many animal populations in the wild, it suggests a misallocation of natural resources.
Disclosure: Dogs are some of my favorite people. Any dog I've had, and wherever practicable, has been left to decide what he or she wanted to do anytime it suited her/him.
Disclosure: Dogs are some of my favorite people. Any dog I've had, and wherever practicable, has been left to decide what he or she wanted to do anytime it suited her/him.
9
Is it just me or did this piece seem a little unfocused? I know how and why the Coppingers developed their interest in dogs but little about the details of their book, even its central argument. There are allusions to "other scientists" who disagree but these people are never named and their reasons for disagreeing are never fleshed out.
Furthermore, writing for an audience who I'm guessing strongly believes in spaying/neutering and adoption as the most humane way to deal with strays, the author doesn't even follow up when the Coppingers euphemistically suggest that is in fact the most inhumane strategy we could pursue. As breeders themselves, do the Coppingers have any thoughts on the grotesque menagerie of purebreds with all their attendant health problems? Is it a historical anomaly that we see dogs as companions and treat them as such? Should we unleash our dogs and let them roam the streets so they can lead "richer lives"? What about the long-standing tradition of raising dogs as livestock practiced in some parts of the world? Is that, too, a purpose of their evolution? The views they're putting forward—what I've managed to make of them anyway—seem to conflict with so many modern Western notions of dogs and open themselves to a host of questions, none of which the author apparently thought to ask.
To be honest, by the end of the piece I forgot it was even prompted by a new book. I doubt I'll think about it again after submitting this comment.
Furthermore, writing for an audience who I'm guessing strongly believes in spaying/neutering and adoption as the most humane way to deal with strays, the author doesn't even follow up when the Coppingers euphemistically suggest that is in fact the most inhumane strategy we could pursue. As breeders themselves, do the Coppingers have any thoughts on the grotesque menagerie of purebreds with all their attendant health problems? Is it a historical anomaly that we see dogs as companions and treat them as such? Should we unleash our dogs and let them roam the streets so they can lead "richer lives"? What about the long-standing tradition of raising dogs as livestock practiced in some parts of the world? Is that, too, a purpose of their evolution? The views they're putting forward—what I've managed to make of them anyway—seem to conflict with so many modern Western notions of dogs and open themselves to a host of questions, none of which the author apparently thought to ask.
To be honest, by the end of the piece I forgot it was even prompted by a new book. I doubt I'll think about it again after submitting this comment.
92
I agree this was a poorly researched and written article. I guess I would have to read their book to understand what this couple has posited about dogs. Their views on stray populations, as presented in this article, seem strange--I can't help but wonder if it was just presented badly.
9
Good thoughtful reply
5
" any thoughts on the grotesque menagerie of purebreds with all their attendant health problems?"
There is nothing wrong with purebreds if they are bred responsibly. I've had several and all had life long health.
There is nothing wrong with purebreds if they are bred responsibly. I've had several and all had life long health.
2
We Americans, over-fed to the point of life-threatening obesity, treat own dogs better than they treat most other human beings, including many of our neighbors. In fact, our "pets" suffer from many of the same physiological disorders that also afflict us. If fact, the average American pet is better treated than the average human war veteran.
12
Ridiculous. Those of us with dogs treat them as we would and do our own family. Because they are family.
18
...yet if we treated dogs worse, and alocated less funds to the canines, the vets would gain nothing.
4
Oh no, now they're invoking veterans to suggest that we shouldn't treat our dogs so well. Hey, Jon, I'm a Vietnam vet (though I don't know whether I'm "average" or not). And I've got a dog and I treat him pretty darned well. I think you would find that a whole lot of people who live with dogs prefer those dogs to most other people (veterans or not). I do.
12
The article does not mention the word "rabbies" which is a complex misunderstanding between humans and dogs in many places. You need to vaccine dogs in order to protect children, but parents don't understand that veterinarian medicine is almost more important than human medicine, in that an infected dog will infect much more numerous other dogs and people than any infected children would.
Then, the article mentions wolves, as always, and I'm surprised it never mentions hyenas, which are some kind of super dogs too and can also be fed by humans as well.
I've seen an incredible documentary on baboons raising puppies in Saudi Arabia. The dogs and the baboons share food, too.
It's fascinating as it shows how two species build a common society, with humans only as food providers.
Then, the article mentions wolves, as always, and I'm surprised it never mentions hyenas, which are some kind of super dogs too and can also be fed by humans as well.
I've seen an incredible documentary on baboons raising puppies in Saudi Arabia. The dogs and the baboons share food, too.
It's fascinating as it shows how two species build a common society, with humans only as food providers.
7
You are correct, it doesn't mention "rabbies" because there's no such word. It does however mention rabies.
5
Try this in the article: "There is precious little funding for studying these dogs, except in the context of preventing rabies, which is an enormous problem, with close to 60,000 human deaths a year, mostly from dog bites."
7
The authors seem to miss that there is an issue of huge suffering involved in having a global street dog population of so many million unwanted dogs. These dogs do not receive veterinarian care, vaccinations, an adequate diet, etc. Most rescue groups are not bringing these dogs to Western countries but trapping, neutering, and vaccinating these dogs and returning them to the streets, with the goal of eventually reducing the number of unwanted dogs. These rescue groups deserve support. They help the dogs and also reduce the incidence of rabies in the street dog populations, and this in turn reduces the risk of people contracting rabies from a stray dog.
159
I couldn't agree more. The article is one dimensional and the authors appear to have the scientists' gift of detachment. The authors are basically studying feral dogs, and both dogs and cats will revert to feral if left to fend for themselves. Three quarters of a billion unwanted or uncollared dogs is hardly am accomplishment or a preferred life for them. They have adapted. I would love for the authors to study how many of these dogs are the result of irresponsible owners. Shame on us.
6
Re: "...trapping, neutering, and vaccinating these dogs and returning them to the streets...". I have read about this as a means of controlling insect populations. Is there scientific (peer-reviewed) evidence that it would work for dogs (and cats)? Please cite for the more scientific readership.
You could check with the Global Alliance for Rabies Control and Humane Society International for more information. Also, regarding research on a non-surgical sterilization, there is a foundation based in Los Angeles that offers grants and a $25 million dollar prize for the first entity to develop a permanent, single-dose, nonsurgical sterilant for male and female cats and dogs. http://www.michelsonprizeandgrants.org/michelson-prize
2
Fascinating article. As a frequent traveller throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, I have driven past countless villages where dogs like the ones described in this article are an ubiquitous presence. Seeing them strikes an emotional chord with me, not least because I am reminded of our beloved beagle back at home. The contrast in the lives they lead is truly incredible. That said I do not think the village dogs are any less happy. They seem to enjoy a high degree of autonomy while also cultivating bonds with the village families which gives them a home base of sorts. Yet from a western perspective, it somehow doesn't feel quite right. We tend to baby our dogs and it is easy to forget that most dogs don't like such sheltered, pampered lives.
20
That last sentence should read that the majority of dogs don't LEAD such pampered lives. (The jury's out on whether or not they like being pampered...but I'm guessing yes)
12
That's great if true, but it seems to be very much the exception. Anyone who has seen the starving, often crippled, dogs of Athens, and the packs of young Athenian men who throw rocks at them, will read your comments as a bit too sunny.
4
If these street dogs are in fact not "strays" but long evolved to live as scavengers at the fringes of human settlements, then it hardly makes sense to talk about their genetics in terms of "breeds." "Breeds" are genetic strains developed via intentional breeding by humans, to bring out, intensify, and isolate specific genetic traits out of the species' diversity. Dogs whose ancestry does not include a significant background among thoroughly domesticated animals intentionally bred by humans cannot be said to belong to any "breed."
Also, dogs that breed indiscriminately, such that every puppy in a litter may have a different father, are not polygamous, they are promiscuous. Polygamous means that an adult of one sex establishes an actual bond with several adults of the other sex: usually, due to the nature of mammal biology, it means a male with a harem of females. Promiscuous means mating any old which way and not sticking around to care for the mate or the offspring, which is what these dogs are doing.
Also, dogs that breed indiscriminately, such that every puppy in a litter may have a different father, are not polygamous, they are promiscuous. Polygamous means that an adult of one sex establishes an actual bond with several adults of the other sex: usually, due to the nature of mammal biology, it means a male with a harem of females. Promiscuous means mating any old which way and not sticking around to care for the mate or the offspring, which is what these dogs are doing.
15
Ha! It's hilarious how we project human behaviors onto innocent animals. Now you're saying there are deadbeat father dogs?!
5
A couple of points regarding hezliebster's post. You can call dogs "promiscuous," but that is a morally loaded term generally applied to people (mostly women). "Polygamous" is no better, of course. Dogs don't get married. As to genetics, I have no idea what all these "breeds" signify, and I've had dogs around for years. They can all interbreed (in fact, they can interbreed with wolves too). A street dog (or village dog) from Asia, rescued by any one of the many outfits currently rescuing them and bringing containers filled with them to the US for adoption, adapts instantly to being one of our "spoiled" house pets. People invented breeds by selective breeding. It doesn't seem to mean anything to the dogs.
2
Actually hersleibster isn't projecting, he's giving the dictionary definition of promiscuous- multiple sexual encounters without pair bonding. The word applies equally to humans and (other) animals.
Interestingly, wolves usually pair bond.
Interestingly, wolves usually pair bond.
2
Hats off to the COPPINGERS for their altruism, and their willingness to go to bat for homeless creatures. I know how they feel--see my video "Krueger and my dog."Like many others, if you befriend a dog in a developing country you know that if you leave without them they will have no recourse but to return to the misery of the streets where you rescued them, so like the pottery barn analogy--if you break it you own it--you are morally obliged to take them with you.. Last time I returned from working abroad I brought seven back, and I am not alone.One time I brought Djinna, a little mixed breed from SENEGAL back to the US. Arriving at Customs, I realized I had ,misplaced her rabies certificate, without which she might have been quarantined or worse. Police officer on duty said:"You got a dog, uh?"When he realized I could not find her papers, he said, "That's o.k. buddy. I like dogs better than people anyway," and waved me through.Never forgot that officer's kindness,
53
I live with a street dog from Athens, who I met in Copenhagen after she was flown to Denmark by a Danish "rescue" group. She's a total apartment dog now and has adapted well to the creature comforts of domestic life. We go to dog parks regularly, though they're not really her thing. So once in awhile I'll let her loose in the neighborhood, only to find her at the nearest dumpster, digging for bones and scraps. This is where she is truly at home!
She is an amazing creature, independent in a way that I haven't seen in other dogs. She is not a pet, I am not her master. It's definitely some form of symbiosis.
She is an amazing creature, independent in a way that I haven't seen in other dogs. She is not a pet, I am not her master. It's definitely some form of symbiosis.
41
I like the notion of a "Village Dog" over a "stray." I am horrified by the thought of "rescue groups" and the "kidnap and mutilate" actions. I like dogs and other pets, but I just cannot own them. Working my way through a normal work week leaves no time for an animal's needs. I see so many people with nice animals, though. I do recall a series of snippets in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about Black Dog, reputedly King of the Strays, in Richmond, VA. He met the description of the superbreed Village Dog. He had the urban human connection thing down pat. Black Dog was fiercely independent, and he would show himself, then vanish. It was fun reading M. Holmberg's musings, as was this article fun to read. Dogs domesticated themselves by their association with human settlements. Ha ! Go dog, Go! Black Dog did meet a sad end, by the way. Life is tough, even a dog gets a rough shake.
6
My cat and dog are both rescued strays. My cat, Mr Kitters, was rescued off of my front porch and he is the best cat I have met to this date. He has had some urinary problems in the past but he is a very loving cat and he gets along with my dog. Keltey, the dog, is a rescued mutt. (mostly black lab) I got her from an animal shelter around the age of 5. She is turning 13 this year and she is a very friendly and healthy dog. These animals are sometimes just killed when they could have a nice home and food.
35
In all it is a story with scietific focus. Nevertheless the authors are being scientifically blind. Stray dogs in a population of 750 Million to only regocnize as science material is some kind of unethically blind. Millions of stray dogs suffer every day by not taken care of and trying to escape dog catchers. Praising to avoid carbige on the roads to minimize the problem seems to lead to the interpretation that those scientist would be better off in a labor.
I seriously ask the Times to give some dog experts the same place to speak out about their work and experience and suggestions to help to solve the issue so far in order to stop the suffering of those dogs. The only qualitative outcome I can get from this article is to substitute the breed dogs by Street dogs since there habit is origine.
I seriously ask the Times to give some dog experts the same place to speak out about their work and experience and suggestions to help to solve the issue so far in order to stop the suffering of those dogs. The only qualitative outcome I can get from this article is to substitute the breed dogs by Street dogs since there habit is origine.
15
There are many fascinating new studies about dogs: all dog owners and dog trainers need to stop watching Cesar Milan and read the science about dogs.
They are an amazing species that can be trained to do almost anything: sniff out bombs, bedbugs and cancer, provide emotional and physical support to people with disabilities, work as police and military helpers, and lower obesity and depression rates.
Dogs deserve our respect.
They are an amazing species that can be trained to do almost anything: sniff out bombs, bedbugs and cancer, provide emotional and physical support to people with disabilities, work as police and military helpers, and lower obesity and depression rates.
Dogs deserve our respect.
238
Sadly in much of the world, respect is nowhere to be found. It was heartening to read in the related article that Turkey shows some compassion towards its strays while other countries inflict pain and suffering upon them. I'm talking to you Iran and South Korea. Let us remember the words of Ghandi:
"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated"
"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated"
67
Thank you!
1
Then in Gandhi's view, our factory farms would put the USA at the bottom of the heap.
6
As an avid animal lover, this article destroyed me. I wept.
12
I would challenge the Coppingers' belief regarding rescue groups that, "kidnap and mutilate" dogs. Anyone who has ever seen the health of the dogs wandering the streets in the Caribbean, and then seen those same dogs safe and secure in loving homes is well aware of the profound effect this act has on the dogs. Rescued dogs display incredible gratitude to the families that take them in, as evidenced by their unwavering love and loyalty to their new homes. Through my work with rescue organizations and as a foster parent for dogs from the U.S. Virgin Islands, I can attest to the fact that these dogs are thrilled in their new environment. This holds true not just for the puppies, who are not old enough to have grown accustomed to their old lives, but especially for the adult dogs. A dog that has lived its entire life scavenging through dumpsters for food is thrilled to be provided with regular meals, a comfortable bed, and a loving home. I may not have the decades of scientific experience that the Coppingers have, but the first-hand evidence that I have observed directly contradicts their claims.
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One hot day my husband and I saw a stray dog sitting on a bench at a bus stop. I ran my errand, leaving the car door open for air for husband. When I returned, that dog was sitting on my husband's lap. We took her home and called the dog shelter but it was too late for drop offs. So we kept her overnight, thinking that our other dog might attack her. Next AM, I heard tussling in the back yard, which turned out to be them playing. We took her to the pound anyhow, thinking someone might claim her. After 3 days, we rescued her from a death sentence. Turned out she got parvo in the pound, but thanks to husband's love and attention (and dog medicine) she survived. And thrive-- there was never a more grateful dog than Bambi, now in doggie heaven with her best friend Jasper. I believe the dog is meant to have a human, that is the basis of our bond.
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So true! Strays I see in the Caribbean are often crippled (presumably from being hit by cars), have nails so long that their feet are distorted, suffer from fleas, heat, lack of water, and the occasional cruel human...the list goes on. Hats off to the good people who snag the occasional puppy and bring it to the US. With so many of our strays pitbulls I know there are lots of people who are happier and more comfortable with a regular old mutt.
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But does this help the suffering dogs that come along to replace the dogs you remove? I suspect you create a void that is filled quickly with more suffering dogs. I tend to agree with the Coppingers that if you really want to stop the suffering then put your efforts and funds into helping to clean up the garbage.
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One summer when I was teaching in an impoverished area of the Caribbean, a thin, stray mother dog with a badly healed broken hip and six thin puppies limped around the neighborhood where I lived. She never begged. But I started leaving out a bowl of cooked brown rice for her and the puppies, who she always fed first. One of my neighbors chastised me for feeding the dog saying, "She's just going to starve again when you leave." That gave me pause for thought, but then I said, "But not while I'm here." From that moment on, I decided to always help suffering or neglected animals whenever I could, even if it only gave them a moment's happiness.
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There's an oft-repeated story, which I think originated in a short story, about a man walking along a beach at dawn, spying another person tossing starfish into the sea.
There were masses of starfish, beached by the tide, and the person was walking along, picking them up, one by one, and flinging them back into the sea. The man went up to him and asked why he was spending his time doing this, as there were thousands of starfish on the sand. They couldn't possibly all be saved - the person's efforts wouldn't matter or make a difference.
The person picked up a starfish and said, 'it makes a difference to this starfish,' and sent it back to the sea. The man spent the rest of the morning helping. It matters to that starfish.
I adopted a senior pet from a high-kill shelter. She'd been there a month and was visibly depressed, defensive, and didn't seem at all friendly. I couldn't leave her there. Out of the shelter, she's sweet, loving, friendly to everyone and the best fuzzy in the world. I'm sad there are others in the shelter who won't get a chance but matters to that starfish. If everyone does what they can...
There were masses of starfish, beached by the tide, and the person was walking along, picking them up, one by one, and flinging them back into the sea. The man went up to him and asked why he was spending his time doing this, as there were thousands of starfish on the sand. They couldn't possibly all be saved - the person's efforts wouldn't matter or make a difference.
The person picked up a starfish and said, 'it makes a difference to this starfish,' and sent it back to the sea. The man spent the rest of the morning helping. It matters to that starfish.
I adopted a senior pet from a high-kill shelter. She'd been there a month and was visibly depressed, defensive, and didn't seem at all friendly. I couldn't leave her there. Out of the shelter, she's sweet, loving, friendly to everyone and the best fuzzy in the world. I'm sad there are others in the shelter who won't get a chance but matters to that starfish. If everyone does what they can...
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That "short story" was an essay by the great evolutionary biologist Loren Eisley: "The Star Thrower".
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Starfish do bad things to corals, but I get your point. Senior pets who come to us as rescues make wonderful companions.
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Interesting that the Coppingers decry rescue groups that neuter (assuming that's what they mean by "mutilate") and then place dogs in homes. I suppose that in some rural areas the dogs create family groups, and I suppose that in many American homes dogs really are isolated and lonely (hence their often bad behavior), but when responsible people adopt rescue dogs and give them good homes, the dogs are supremely happy and so are their grateful new owners. It is, as they say, a win-win situation.
But then, when you have over a hundred dogs at any given time, and when you study them in large groups, and when the dogs you remember best are the "bad" ones, perhaps you're just not all that into the strong bond that arises between a person and his canine friend.
But then, when you have over a hundred dogs at any given time, and when you study them in large groups, and when the dogs you remember best are the "bad" ones, perhaps you're just not all that into the strong bond that arises between a person and his canine friend.
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Well put comment. I did not catch that by mutilate they meant neuter. Ouch. Neutering a dog is a social benefit for all. I agree, these people may know a lot about dogs, but they are not experts on the incredible bond between the Human and the Dog, which is unique among all of the creatures of the animal world. A human and a cat may like each other; a horse may like the dog he sees in the pasture; a dolphin who follows a boat is definitely trying to be friendly. None are even close to comparable to the love/loyalty we dog-human friends experience. ("right Tilly?" I just asked my 12-year old aussie. "woof woof," said Tilly back, coz, of course, mama is always right.)
10
Very fascinating story. Truly less garbage would solve many problems in our world, not just the overpopulation of wild dogs. Thanks for an interesting perspective on dogs. I especially liked the comparison of the fat lonely American dog having less quality of life than the wild skinny pack dog in a third world country. Honestly, I think the same could be said for many humans as well.
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Less Garbage and better (and more) education
7
One summer when I was teaching in an impoverished area of the Caribbean, a thin, stray mother dog with a badly healed broken hip and six think puppies limped around the neighborhood where I lived. She never begged. But I started living out a bowl of cooked brown rice for her and the puppies, who she always fed first. One of my neighbors chastised me for feeding the dog saying, "She's just starve when you leave." That gave me pause for thought, but then I said, "But not while I'm here." From that moment on, I decided to always help suffering or neglected animals whenever I could, even if it only gave them a moment's happiness.
46
I loved this article, not least because it reminds me of our family's trip to Istanbul in January. Right around Hagia Sophia there was a large population of street dogs, who seemed to have a refuge in a fenced-off area right next to the main tourist center. The dogs were all tagged on their ears, seemed well-fed and contented, and didn't pester people for food. What they did want was affection from humans. One dog "adopted" us and followed us around whenever we were near her territory. My kids petted her and hugged her, and she trotted after us wherever we went and leaned up against us when we stopped walking so we could scratch her ears. I nicknamed her Kismet and still think of going back to scoop her up and take her home. It's a powerful evolutionary adaptation, the way dogs can get us to love them!
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Istanbul is particularly good about caring for their dogs (you noticed the tags and body condition - that is a municipal effort). They also tend to be bigger hound type dogs vs the 30 pound village dogs described in the piece. The first international conference to focus on unowned dogs and world wide dog populations also occurred in 2015 in Istanbul, and was supported by a number of different international groups including the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, a group of organizations who work together in support of small animal medicine and surgery. Ray and Lorna have done interesting work over the years in the different fields of "canine science",across the world, and usually without tons of research money either.
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Amazing given the propensity of some Muslim populations to reject dogs as dirty / unclean. If only the stray dogs of Malaysia could make it to Turkey.
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Istanbul has done a really good job with their urban dogs (you noticed the tags and body condition - that is a municipal effort) and the first conference dedicated to the care and population management of unowned dogs around the world was held there in early summer of last year, with the support and collaboration of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Ray and Lorna have over the years done some interesting work in this field, usually without tons of research funding. Its good to see their work and views, even if sometimes contrarian, featured in the NYT - and glad to hear more about the dogs of the world, as one who is just so fond of my own two pets.
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