I remember looking toward the end of the road one blue winter morning.
A small pack of dogs was on the move at the cross street. There was a big yellow dog with a thick fur and just the hint of a lions' mane around his neck. A powerful looking black dog with a wide stance was behind him. Three medium sized dogs, one a hound, the other two lanky looking terriers, formed the perimeter.
They were looting the garbage cans, as they often did. It was a collection day so the galvanized steel cans would be out at the curb. The pack moved quickly to avoid trouble. On days when they had to enter backyards to find food they didn't do as well. So today they were planning on a big day.
Find out what's happening in Patchoguewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Most dogs were mutts back then, and it was pretty common to find them roaming the streets. People just opened the door and let their dogs and children run loose. As long as they multiplied, dogs were cheap. $5 was the going price for a puppy.
The dog catcher with his net was a common character in comedies and stories, not at all like todays' animal control officer searching for alligators or escaped pyhtons in the backyard. Dog pounds are now outnumbered by Non-profit groups.
Find out what's happening in Patchoguewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Now we have feral cats everywhere you look. And the shelters are full of kittens too. Cats are cheap. The packs of dogs of yesterday would have never tolerated it.
What's changed about dogs is we value them more now. They are usually purebreeds and cost a whole lot more than the mutts of yesterday. It's not working out well for them. Puppy mills have taken control of the dog industry and are crucifying them to bleed every possible cent out of the dog loving public that they can. So where we used to have a problem of too many unwanted dogs in the streets we now have all our unwanted dogs sight unseen in the cemetary of the puppy mill.
It's a vexing problem. The Democrats in the County Legislature considered for a moment, banning the sale of puppies in pet stores. The injustice of that became quickly apparent and so what they may do is establish a rating agency for pet stores. That sounds like a great step in the right direction.
