Dogs. OK in Apartments? But who will scoop the poop on the street?

Dogs. I used to be afraid of them. Then, I got wary and found my way away from them.

Then I let sleeping dogs lie and licking dogs lick. 

But I still am not a warm dog-friendly person. In the sense, I don’t rub their necks or take them into my lap.

I did not have pets when I was a kid. My pets were newspapers and magazines. They got all my attention.

And then, this happened.

In my freelance days, I often returned home late. Home was then deep inside Pallavaram, then the suburbs on the south side.

Not that I worked late but late evening was the time to catch up with the mainstream journalists.

I’d take the electric train and then walk. 

Now, there was this section of the unpaved main road which ran down and curved into the last lap of my journey home.

One moon-lit evening, a dog began to bark and I slowed down. 

It came up to me slowly and barked.

I paused and walked on the edge of the rough road.

The dog got aggressive and I began to sweat a bit.

There was nobody around. I picked up a stone and flung it.

The dog barked and then slipped into a dark plot.

Then on, whenever I was walking here past the 10 p.m. hour, that very dog would be at its post and bark on seeing me.

Well, with my thick beard and locks of thick hair, that dog had every reason to treat me a suspect!

I recalled this ‘dog’ anecdote when I observed closely, the Rental Classifieds in Mylapore Times. Increasingly, owners of flats opting to rent them out are mentioning the ‘pets/dogs’ rule - the flat cannot accommodate a dog or the block is a pet-friendly one.

I have come across people sharing their tales on both sides of the issue. And I wonder if the city’s civic body is studying lifestyles where many people, not just the rich and landed, are now rearing pets and putting some good money into it.

So does the Chennai Corporation have to discuss regulations on keeping pets in residential quarters or is this an issue for some other state body?

I am aware that the issue of owners clearing dog poop themselves when they are out on a morning walk is severe but neither pet-owners are bothered nor are ward councillors debating this issue in the city council. Anyway, laying drains still tops their agenda.

This morning, I must have counted at least a dozen dogs on walks in the 20 minutes I was taking in some fresh air in this stifling summer. 

Meanwhile, if I am a guest at your place and you have a dog, just warn me and make the right noises. Put me at ease. You cannot but love dogs.