Island Dogs

My house is also known as Snowy’s old house. When I inquired as to who Snowy was, it turns out he is a dog who hangs out around the house. He used to live here with previous tenants. They went on vacation one day and never came back, leaving their dog to fend for himself in the pack culture that is island dog.

Island dogs live a dog-eat-dog life, and I mean that literally. They travel in packs and are feral monsters. Every night, and most of the day, dog fights are common. During the day, the dogs are mostly harmless, but once the sun goes down they become extremely territorial and confrontational. A lot of people have been bitten by dogs, and it’s common practice to carry a rock with you when you walk, in order to fend off dog attacks.

Snowy, on the other hand, is perfectly calm. He is often described as regal, and if he were a human he would smoke a pipe while wearing a silk robe. Snowy’s a good dog, and he hangs around three houses, mine being one of them. He is clearly the leader of his pack, and likes to follow us around. One guy was actually under attack by his own dog, but Snowy stepped in and kicked the other dog’s ass.

The dogs here don’t stray from their territory, but Snowy can go anywhere he likes. This ability has led to ridiculous stories about him (completely made up by us) about his past. He looks like a golden retriever, but is extremely dirty. I feed him leftovers and give him water. He likes to lay in the doorway when the door is open, just to be around people, but he knows he’s not allowed in. Sometimes he’ll poke his nose in a little bit just to see what we’ll let him get away with.

A lot of people adopt some of the puppies, but unless they are kept inside constantly, they become part of the island dog culture.