“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” ~Josh Billings
Photo Credit: www.petmd.com
Last night my husband and I drove into Manhattan to have dinner with friends we hadn't seen in years.
We were excited because, aside from loving "the city," I had been friends with K since we worked together in the early 1980s. She and her husband were true city dwellers by not owning a car and are well versed in the best neighborhood haunts for a good meal.
The scene was set, and we were excited. If you know New York City, you also know how rare it is to find a parking space on the street. This alone can save you a bundle in parking garage fees.
The stars were aligned for us because that's precisely what happened. We found a spot in front of Gristede's, two blocks from the restaurant.
As we read the street sign to ensure it was a legal space, a man walking his dog stopped in front of our car. When I looked up, our eyes locked for a brief moment. He then tied his dog to a pole directly across the front entrance of Gristede's.
One simple knot around the pole and this animal was forced to sit on a cold, dark sidewalk while his owner went shopping.
This is one of my pet peeves (sorry, but it's the only term that seemed appropriate) about NYC residents and their pets. Tying a dog to a pole or hydrant while the owner galavants inside a Gristede's or Starbucks or eats an entire dinner seems cruel.
Why do owners feel it necessary to bring their pet along only to tie it up? This dog looked frightened (like so many others I've seen before), lonely, and pining away for its owner's swift return.
I waited a bit for the owner to come out of the store. I wanted to ask him why he needed to bring his dog with him only to tie him up. I wanted to ask whether he ever thought of the possibility that while he was busy shopping, a passerby could quickly kidnap his dog.
Who knows what would happen to this beautiful creature in someone else's hands?
My husband warned me not to get involved. We needed to get to the restaurant, or we'd be late. I acquiesced. I felt like a coward.
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went.” ~Will Rogers
As I began to walk toward our destination, my eyes never left the dog. Street litter of plastic bags and empty wrappers blew in the wind, circling his paws and face as he stood firm, waiting for his owner.
His sad eyes broke my heart. I should have done something more. But what could I do?
City pet owners need to take more responsibility for caring for their animals. It seems as if it's trendy to own an animal in Manhattan (and perhaps in other metropolitan cities as well.)
Our furry friends should never become a trend like a pair of Manolo Blahnik's or the newest apple martini recipe. They should be cherished for the unconditional love they always give us and treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
If you're going to own a dog in NYC, that's fine. Manhattan offers countless places to walk your dog, from street to street walking on sidewalks to beautiful Central Park to neighborhood dog parks.
But if an owner needs to run errands, leave the dog at home. They deserve to be treated with as much consideration and care as their owners.
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I'm not a city dweller, I have two big dogs and a big suburban back yard for them to run in. I personally can't imagine a circumstance where I'd tie them up outside of a restaurant. But then, as I said I'm not a city dweller.... maybe it's different there.
Interesting that you and I just exchanged comments on the subject of "getting involved." I know how you felt walking away. I also know you called your neighbor out on his treatment of those cats and many would not have. From the tone of this post, you were clearly not comfortable leaving the scene, and if you see something like this again, well, I'm glad I won't be that pet owner. You're a good soul.
In the winter??? I don't understand it, either, and I would have been preoccupied by thoughts of that dog all evening. I do understand when people leave their dogs outside for a minute or two, running in to a shop to grab milk or something. I couldn't do it with my dogs, because they'd bark and cry and create a scene, but I understand if the weather is fine and the dog is okay with it. Restaurants are another matter. No dog should have to sit outside by itself that long. Never in winter! Or in the heat of summer, either.
Cathy, I couldn't agree more. I hate when I see any form of mistreatment of animals, and this certainly qualifies.
I am a HUGE animal lover (even worked at the ASPCA in NYC for a period of time) so I understand your pet peeve. As a dog owner who lived in Manhattan years ago, I know that tying dogs up outside a store is common practice. My opinion on doing so is "it depends." If you have a calm dog who does not get whiney or nervous about it, then I'm okay with it, assuming the weather is ok. I once saw a dog tied up outside IN THE RAIN while his owners ate dinner in a restaurant!! I was with 2 friends, one of whom was a guy, and we made him go into the restaurant (we were too wimpy) to find the owners and tell them their dog was outside getting wet. He found them, told them his 2 friends outside were upset about the apparent mis-treatment of their animal. Their reply was they said their dog "liked it." And then they continued with their dinner. I suppose there is only so much we can do, and maybe pet owners truly know their own animals best. My dog was a very nervous type and a loud barker, so I never tied him up unless it was for a very brief period of time. I never worried about anyone taking him because he was big and kind of scary looking. Now that we are suburbanites with a dog, we never tie her up. However, she LOVES riding in the car so I'll take her on errands and I'll leave her in the car while I run inside a store quickly. I would never do this if it's hot out, but as long as it's cold, I know she'll be safe in the car. Plus, she seems to love it....so, that's my 2 (or 3) cents!!
Gosh, Cathy, the poor thing! If the owner was living in France, he'd take the dog into the restaurant with me and feed him tidbits under the table even in Paris!
I could not agree more! I also hate when urban dwellers tie or chain their dogs to a tree or stake in their yard. If you cannot afford to build an appropriate fence then don't get a dog! Grrr
You're a good soul, Cathy. So many people in the city do tie their dogs up, and honestly, I don't get it. I can't say I've ever seen a dog that looked happy lashed to a tree or parking meter. For a minute or two, ok, but anything longer than that is really unacceptable. I wouldn't do that to my kids, why would I do that to my dog?? Isn't anyone every afraid that their dog would be stolen?
Heartbreaking. Going to steal your quote and post your article. Thanks Cathy for writing on important issues.
Not only dogs tied to phone poles, but dogs left in hots cars. Oh, I get irate.
It's a polarizing issue in NYC. I take my two rescues with me when I run errands -- today it was to the bakery and to get some coffee. If I can't tether them where I can see them, where I expect it to be more than a five minute excursion, or where there aren't other people working outside, I won't leave them.
That said, when I went to get coffee today, things were busy and I chose to tether the dogs about 3' from where I usually tether them. There were other dogs and owners outside. When I got outside, things had quieted down...so my tethering decision may have appeared neglectful. What upset me was the woman who chose to chastise me about the decision to tether the dogs. She screamed and shamed me....I felt a bit like I was being yelled at by a pro-lifer outside an abortion clinic.
I understand that there are risks to tethering your pets while you run errands in the city....I also believe that most people use common sense. If you disagree with the practice; however, shaming the owner in a loud manner may not be the most effective approach. Say what you need to say with compassion -- for the pets and for the people --- it may make a difference....it may not. Shaming them is likely to just aggravate the situation.