UNDERCOVER MONSTERS

It is still foggy and dark on the hill, fog horns sound regularly from the Bay. An older man crossed ahead of me, gaunt silhouette, slow pace. No dog. The yuppie teacups and little French bulls will not be out until you can see what they did at foot level. But I'm sure their owners are as we speak girding for war and the dreadful task of bagging the evidence. Which one really wishes they would store appropriately, placed in order on shelving in their abodes, labelled and dated. Fluffy, Thursday January 1, 2024. Fluffy, Friday January 2, 2024. Fluffy, Saturday January 3, 2024, during a rainstorm. For scientific purposes, rather than crime scene investigation. And done out of love.

Because that is what owning a little ambulatory poo-factory is all about.

I am, as you probably realize, not a dog person.

I prefer fog and cats.


That said, one of the Marin regulars is involved in helper dog training and has over the years introduced us to a succession of calm likable hounds that seem very human social but not intrusive, who have all shown remarkable patience with the louder more unstable men in the backroom. I've always made it a point to memorize their names during their five or six week stints, as I strongly believe in treating them as equals.

That is to say, equals without opposable thumbs or the speech centres in their brains needed for gibbering like drunken peasants, hence much better at personhood than many of the men there. Not idiots, not fascist, not sports fans.

Dogs suitable for service training are larger and far more intelligent than the teacups or pugly monsters, and would be an asset to this neighborhood, rather than the irritating yippers and rear-sniffers which seem to be the preferred four footed companions.

There are individuals here who have not one, but two or three angry little daemons in tow. One imagines that their apartments probably have a certain whiff, much like certain enclosures at the zoo.

One cannot tell who they are on the bus.
They look like normal people.
It's deceptive.



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