Trust me, I'm a Collie

what is feral anyway?

The Saturday night Karaoke winds down around 5:15am on Sunday in this town. Like clockwork, the Can Grinches emerge with their sacks to pick up the beer can trash. Bottles remain, those have no value at the scrap yard. They roll around until trucks run them over and they’re pulverized into the dusty shale roads.

The dog paws here seem harder than hooves. Old gal Brady, 16, is technically a stray from the foothills of Appalachia in Georgia and very much a cousin to the Mexican street dog. I’ve likely thrust decades of domestication on her. But her pads too are getting so dry and calloused that she splays out to the sides when trying to stand on the slick interior tile. It benefits outdoor pads only.

The last man standing cerveza fiesta that is (small town) Mexican culture doesn’t need a purpose. It’s just beer o’clock and it’s hot or it’s Thursday or it’s Navidad or it’s boredom or it’s just pure alcoholism but it never ends in fights (usually) and everyone just sings and gets blotto until someone unplugs the speakers. Predictable. You hear a few mic screeches and then the big trucks start their engines and it’s every man for himself. Some walk home, sleep where they had their last beer, or get on a bike.

If you’re a regular pedestrian or street dog, you take heed. I like to walk at sunrise but I steer clear of Sunday mornings until all the peel out big rig shitfaced goons are back home, on the highway, or in a ditch sleeping it off somewhere. Yep, it’s dangerous. I just avoid it. I’m not going to change it.

The dogs don’t worry. Little ones and puppies aren’t wise enough to play Mexican Street Frogger, and often get hit. Older dogs give zero regard and everyone lives. Many are three legged, but still.

Andie, the Aussie Shepherd-ish street dog of Cecilio, the life time local town drunk, lays in the middle of the road. Unfazed, disinterested, unafraid. When she’s not walking around with him, guarding him while he goes through trash cans, she comes here to eat, drink fresh water and take 6 hour naps with her tongue out. She takes what she needs from me, I am reliable. She trusts me even though it took time. She comes and boops my foot around 7pm to be let out. She disappears to the beer store or some house party or taco cart where people toss scraps.

She’s seen it all. She’s been doing this for a lot longer than I’ve been here which feels like forever but it’s only 3 years so it’s nothing. It only feels longer because I wasn’t planning on being here at all, ever. In street dog culture, it’s nothing. And they don’t need you. They’ll let you know if they want you.

Andie, Trusts the Process.

I’ve mentioned before how I no longer worry about Andie, or any of these dogs really. Mexican street dogs if given basic support of food and water, quick wellness checks, SPAY, some sort of shelter or a safe place to lay around where people won’t throw rocks (or will think twice about throwing rocks) they can be okay. Or maybe without any of that. It’s just more comfortable to have someone care. I see dogs without humans here who do better living by their wits alone though. Being “inside” or bathed every week isn’t necessarily thriving in the canine world. But not all dogs are equal. I digress.

When I first got here, I was very self righteous and going to save everyone and everything. I didn’t see myself like that though. I’m not THAT kind of American. BUT I was inflamed and angry and fixing all the things.

Turns out, no one cares. I fixed nothing.

I have spayed, neutered and cared for dozens of these ignored dogs, yes, but it would be bold of me to think I fixed anything. Especially in Mexico.

There’s a long genetic line here of survival, which is evident in the overpopulation. Dogs too. And also, who am I? Oh right, General Manager of the Universe. Thought you knew.

This morning I saw a truck gunning for my road and Andie stared at it, went back to sleep and it missed her by centimeters. She’s seen it all before and figures it’ll be okay. Or it won’t. But these cycles, she says, are predictable.