by Trina
Photos by Trina and Greg
The street dog in Baja is ubiquitous. Even the dogs that are pets appeared to be essentially living the lives of street dogs, roaming free and fending for themselves. Eating garbage. Begging at taquerias. Loitering in front of grocery stores. Sleeping in the middle of intersections. Arriving on their own from who knows where to visit and play with Sprocket. Lounging in the shade. Lounging in the sun. Going wherever their noses pointed them.
With only a few heartbreaking exceptions, we were surprised to find ourselves observing that the street life, while tough to be sure, actually looked to be a pretty good one. Or at least not so horrible? Baja dogs definitely pay a price for their freedom, but the ones that were managing to stay healthy and fed looked like they enjoyed being their own people. We were left wondering which is better: a short, free life with no medical attention, no regular source of good food, and the risk of being hit by a car, or a long life living inside a fence with no exercise, no adventure, no stimulation, no freedom to explore new territory. Which would you choose for yourself?
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