My life as a dog
By Mauri Formigoni, March 16, 2007

In the late ‘80s, a Swedish director, Lasse Hallstrom, came up with a jewel of a movie, My Life As a Dog, featuring a young boy who was sent to visit relatives at the time of a family crisis.

When he could no longer cope with expectations, he became a dog in actions, sounds, and activities, and thus could manage—though dysfunctionally. I understood this movie so well and loved the character. Many people I know cope similarly, and many of our dogs behave to please. One day in the Jardín, an adoptive parent of several years stopped by to say of one dog, “What a shame about her color.” I realized that it does make a difference. Her dog was black and white and adorable. The current dog we were showing then was a typical street dog, black and brown, the hardest color mix to adopt. White, fluffy dogs adopt quickly. So do sleek black dogs. There is, indeed, prejudice. We are, sadly, color conscious, even with pets. At times we have a population of all black and brown dogs who wait and wait. Right now 
we have brown and white dogs. All in all, I look each week at our group of noble beasts and love them. They just sit in a cage and wait, wondering why they are there. A few dogs have close friends or buddies who make them happy, and once in a while, one gets fed up waiting and figures out how to unlock the juala, (cage), and escapes for a few hours to dig, tear up newspapers and search for more food. Young Brie, a Golden mix, did that this week, and though it was trouble, I applauded her ingenuity and impertinence.

But the dog I want to tell you about this week is Lassie. It might be more appropriate to call this article, Lassie Come Home. Our Lassie is an eight-month-old collie mix, bright-eyed and hopeful, as are many of our dogs.

 She is rather noble, with reddish brown and white fur, freckles on her face, young, sweet and eager. Lassie will be a wonderful pet for a family or an adult, and has no current problems. She accepts everyone—people and dogs alike—and is handsome, healthy, and ready to go. She has been spayed, has all shots, and walks well on a leash. She doesn’t know about the movie heroine, but just accepts who she is, a rescued street dog with a good head and loving heart, hoping to be discovered.

Petal is a young female, small and sweet with a grayish tan coat and elegant, wild, black tiger markings. She is very desirable and presents well. She appears to be a small wild cat, but is docile and quiet, and would make an excellent pet. Come visit her. She is worth a visit and might be just the cat for you.

We mourn the loss of a good friend and excellent animal handler, Renee Kaplan. Good animal friends are rare, and we will miss her help in the Jardín.

We are open from Monday through Friday, 10am–noon for veterinarian appointments, and noon–2pm for volunteers and visits to see the animals. We have just been painted bright, funky green so you will find us on Los Pinos 7, just off Calzada de la Estacion (a continuation of Canal). Call 152-6124 for appointments. Adoptions cost 250–300 pesos and include sterilization and vaccines. This barely covers costs, but allows for a safe and healthy adoption. Call me at 154-5930 for questions about volunteering or the animals. We need extra hands at the shelter and on Thursdays at the Jardín (11:15am–1:15pm) Visit our website at www.spasanmiguel.org.