about getting from point A to point B in the most interesting ways possible

If you're a large woman in America, your whole life is an opportunity to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, resentful and way too big. You can hide in the corner or on the couch, you can go to therapy, or you can put on your lycra bike shorts and get out there and move.
—Jayne Williams, Slow Fat Triathlete

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November 16, 2005

I know it's wrong to want to steal your neighbor's dog permalink

not zoe! A photo from Bad Rap, a Bay Area pit bull rescue group. This is not Zoe, nor have I ever seen her in a jacket or sweater. Which I know she'd enjoy, dammit!
I was feeling all pleased with myself this morning. I was showered, scented, lipsticked and clothed; my satchel was packed, my shoes were on. All I needed to do was take the dog outside.

So I walk out the back door, with Echo, my cup of coffee and a scoop of cat food for Daphne. Daphne pops out of her little house made from a milkcrate lined with towels and a plastic garbage bag sitting over a hot water bottle, and so even though it's 35 degrees, she's all warm. And even though she seems warm and happy and robust outside, I think again about how I'd like to have her be an indoor cat. And how I'd have to make sure that all fabric, all towels, all clothes would be inaccessible to her, so she couldn't eat them. Is that even possible?

I imagine a house with no fabric. That would mean no towels on the kitchen table, and no clothes on the chair. No quilt on the couch that the dog can't figure out how to get under. No curtains. No open laundry basket. I want to pare down my life but this seems to be a bit much.

While I'm having this reverie, Echo is running around the backyard through the wet grass, and Daphne alternates eating cat food, and coming up for some attention. And there is this high pitched whining, crying really, coming from over there. From the butterfly bush.

So I go over, and huddled under the butterfly bush is Zoe, the pitbull from next door (background here and here). She's so ugly she's adorable, and she is so upset. I try to convince her to come over and see me, but she won't or maybe she can't. Poor thing.

Ever since Zoe got lost, my neighbors have kept her on a line which stretches from our fence to Theresa's, the neighbor on the other side. Surprise, surprise, Zoe doesn't like being kept on a line, so she destroys anything she can get in contact with: dog beds, bits of styrofoam, etc. And, she's dug a hole under our fence. It seems she likes to hang out under the butterfly bush... maybe just because that's as far as the line will let her go.

So I walk through the gate and to the neighbor's side of the fence. Zoe's line is wrapped several time around the fence post, so, no wonder that she can't get loose. She is wiggling frantically with monster pitbull force, so happy to see me, as I try to unbolt her from the line while holding onto her collar, pull the tangled line out of my yard and from around my fence post, and reattach her. She rewards me by jumping up on me several times, marking me with her muddy paws. Thanks Zoe.

I walk away and she begins crying again.

Why do my neighbors have a dog? Why? I'm guessing because they moved into this "rough" neighborhood and maybe had some stuff stolen, and so they thought they needed protection. So they have this dog that never gets any exercise, and let's face facts, pit bulls are a handful if they don't get enough energy exercise, and they keep it outside on a line. A dog with no real fur. That dog was out all night.

Sweetie has volunteered to help them build a dog house. We've both talked to them about the fact that it's not cool to leave a dog on a line without supervision, etc, etc. I'm tempted to call animal control, but I don't know if it's illegal to leave a dog outside at night. I'm guessing that probably it's fairly low on their priorities...
...
A cow-orker asked me yesterday how my training for Freescale was coming. Yeah. Huh, huh. I gotta get walking again. And then last night, we're sitting in our favorite new neighborhood place, laptops open, and I read this from another bike commuter:

Experience suggests I'll put on about 2 lb a month from not riding (losing muscle and gaining fat for a double whammy), and that's not a safe choice either.

And this from a guy. (And I mention gender only because men have an easier time maintaining weight than women). Yikes.

Posted at November 16, 2005

Comments

Hi VJ! This is an adorable picture. I think animal control would take your concern seriously. I've heard cases of people getting in trouble for leaving their dogs in cars. Why is this any different?

Posted by: Liz at November 16, 2005 11:44 AM

Inadequate care - including inadequate shelter - is considered animal abuse and would be taken seriously. Both the Oregon Humane Society and Multnomah County Animal Control have information on reporting cases:

http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/pets/guide.shtml#cruelty

http://www.oregonhumane.org/reportabuse.htm

Posted by: heather w at November 16, 2005 7:44 PM

Hearing about Zoe breaks my heart. Poor baby. I just don't understand people. Don't they understand that to have a dog means they're part of your family? So sad.

Posted by: dark_o_clock at November 16, 2005 8:17 PM

Thank you for showing Zoe some love. I am the owner of a pit and they can be the most wonderful dogs when treated properly.

In most areas there are laws stating that the dog must have food, water, and shelter especially in cold areas. I would contact animal control immediately, it's not fair to Zoe....

Posted by: Florence at November 17, 2005 10:50 AM