The cow may be sacred in India, but I think they and most other animals have it pretty rough here. Stray animals are everywhere in the city. During any casual stroll through town, you could encounter random cows--usually very thin--and goats chewing on trash in the streets, dogs dogs and more dogs, the occasional stray cat (they tend to hide during the day and thus remain largely invisible--how characteristic). Cows pulling carts of vegetables or with little necklaces and bells around their necks. And of course, in public parks, their duplication as havens for stray dogs are the rule. I took a picture of this stray dog taking a rest on the grounds of Fort St. George. Coming out of a friend's apartment one night, though, we found a poor little dog who slept on a corner of the staircase landing. She stared at us with large, terrified eyes and literally quivered whenever we went by. I caved one night...I had a half-eaten package of biscuits (cookies) in my bag and fed her one...then two...then she snarfed down all five of them. And then licked the crumbs off the ground. We started bringing her leftover food every few days, which made her very happy (I didn't take a picture of her because I was afraid she would be too startled by it). At nearby Tower Park, we attempted to feed two skinny puppies my leftover veg pulao but they were chased off by thei
r own mother, who then proceeded to wolf everything down. Now that's what I call food aggression. I definitely kept my distance with those dogs. I was told by a Chennai local during my last week that the city does try to spay and neuter the strays...I found the sign on the left near my hotel. The girls in the sari shop next door couldn't figure out what we were so amused about. They giggled themselves, amused at our amusement. People DO keep pets in India! But what I'd like to know is...what is a "barking fine"?? Does it mean that barking is fine, or is there a fine if your dog barks in the hospital?
Two weeks later, the sign disappeared. Sari shop, still open.
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