The holiday season is near in Buenos Aires so it’s getting hot. Makes for nice walks with my dog Clyde no matter what the hour. We pass through Parque Lezama near where I live a couple times a week. It is a big lush park, with Jacaranda and Ceibo trees now in bloom. There are several stray dogs there I know, and sometimes I think of grabbing one.

For example, there is this cute creature you see to the right. It’s this stray I see in the park all the time with Clyde. And there is another one named “Chicho” who is much more sizeable, a dark shepherdish mutt, and 100% amor. Sometimes Chicho follows us home and waits outside. The first time this happened I was concerned since I at the time lived on a very busy street. I phoned my friend Nacho, who knows Chicho, and assured me that he does the same with many dog owners, always making his way back to the park. For some reason all the dogs here, female and male, seem to love licking Clyde’s genitals. Not sure what it is. I love when it makes the owners uncomfortable that their macho dog is being “gay.”

I have started collecting photos of stray dogs in Buenos Aires. (Certainly that will be the subject an upcoming photo series here.) There are so many strays here, but most are well-cared-for. People leave food out for these cats and dogs, and the strays are usually not too skinny. One time Clyde consumed an entire plate on gnochi in the park, and another time a slab of beef ribs. The street animals eat better than some people here. Seriously. And Clyde doesn’t help the imbalance, as he always seems to charm food from homeless people, like this dude who took out this slab of ham and served Clyde a big chunk (after taking a bite himself to prove it was ok). Furthermore, every police station in Buenos Aires has at least one or a few strays outside accompanying the police officers.

Maybe there will eventually be fewer strays here. I have seen a change of awareness over the 3 years as Argentines used to be so surprised that I had had my dog castrated. Now I see signs insisting that people not abandon their animals; and there is a van that comes to within a block of my apartment every few months to offer free castration to dogs and cats. People line up for this. The government also offer free rabies shots at times. Not too bad a deal.