This is why dogs make us better than we are

[SeanEasley]

I am currently_between dogs_if you will. But this kind of stuff severely weakens my willpower to hold out.

If my youngest didn't have some allergy issues we would have one now.

[Mabouya]

Cute! It also made the BBC web site.

[Too Tall]

Great stuff Sean.
If you want to bring your kiddo over here and test him out with our Standard Poodle you are welcome to it. I'm allergic to every dog except these guys.

[robin3mj]

That's great.
Black labs are the best.

[jitahs]

Friend has a kid in similar straits - they got a labradoodle.

[Nierman]

Kinda sad, really. Probably allergic to her owner or she gets tired of waiting for him to finish his cigarettes.

[Mabouya]

Kinda sad, really. Probably allergic to her owner or she gets tired of waiting for him to finish his cigarettes.

Agreed that he doesn't appear to be your typical middle-class animal lover. However, the dog seems to be in good shape and well treated. (except for the solo bus stuff, which could one day lead to trouble)

A few days ago in a web story from somewhere about how cold it was and how volunteers were trying to get the homeless to come inside, but quite a few refused, they had a picture of some homeless guy sitting (or lying) near a pile of boxes with a mid-sized dog next to him. Of course one always feels for the homeless, but as an animal lover that one was a double-hit to me. But as I thought of it I concluded that as long as they take care of Fido, there's no reason homeless guys can't have a dog. And better that than the pup ending up in the gas chamber at the local pound.

There are a heck of a lot more pets out there than there are good homes. Anyone willing to take good care of one, whether it's Leona Helmsley or a slightly off his rocker homeless guy, is a good person to me.

[Nierman]

That was a little tongue in cheek of course - I caught the cigarette part from an NPR piece earlier today but didn't listen to the audio long enough to hear the owner was homeless. The Road Warrior, The Jerk, The Wizard of OZ -- all great stories of a companion being there for you when hope seems lost.

[Mabouya]

I'm not saying the "dog on the bus" owner's homeless, I don't know, and don't think he is.

I just took the example one notch down to a worst-case scenario.

[Cookietruck]

Agreed that he doesn't appear to be your typical middle-class animal lover. However, the dog seems to be in good shape and well treated. (except for the solo bus stuff, which could one day lead to trouble)

A few days ago in a web story from somewhere about how cold it was and how volunteers were trying to get the homeless to come inside, but quite a few refused, they had a picture of some homeless guy sitting (or lying) near a pile of boxes with a mid-sized dog next to him. Of course one always feels for the homeless, but as an animal lover that one was a double-hit to me. But as I thought of it I concluded that as long as they take care of Fido, there's no reason homeless guys can't have a dog. And better that than the pup ending up in the gas chamber at the local pound.

There are a heck of a lot more pets out there than there are good homes. Anyone willing to take good care of one, whether it's Leona Helmsley or a slightly off his rocker homeless guy, is a good person to me.

dogs really only need companionship and a leader.
i always see homeless people on the streets with their dogs and figure the dog is probably happier than a very very large portion of other dogs.
think about all the dogs that get stuck at home with zero training ever, or ignored, or chained/contained in their yard only to see their owner at feeding time.

[rowdyhillrambler]

When a dog is man's best friend, the dog has a problem-Ed Abbey