For the last 16 years I’ve always had at least one dog in my life. As part of the family, they’ve come most places with me. In recent years in Australia, the places they’ve been allowed to go with me have become fewer and more restricted; a fact brought home to me last month while travelling in Europe (I know, what a hardship, but it was, after all, my first official holiday in six years).
The last time I was in Europe, I didn’t own a dog, so perhaps didn’t pay quite the same attention. This trip, though, I was thrilled that dogs were allowed just about everywhere; not just service dogs or assistance dogs, but everyday companion animals too. I photographed these dogs everywhere – interestingly enough they seemed to know I wanted their attention. And, might I add, dogs weren’t the only animals that were readily accepted in most places.
So here are a few …
This Berlin dog’s owner was amazed to hear of our public transport restrictions in Australia, when I asked if I could take a picture of her dog (with a sigh of relief that I wasn’t ‘crazy dog woman from Down Under’).
This photo is my favourite. This is Peko, who was rescued at the tender age of 15 (he’s now 16) from a shelter so he could live out the rest of his days with dignity. We came across Peko riding in a pram (after a run around) at the Charlottenburg Palace gardens in Berlin.
Another in Berlin; shopping for bargains in the multi-storey shopping mall.
A cat in an Amsterdam café window taking a nap after the lunch-time rush.
Hi Lisa,
Nice and well written publication well done! I find it touching that you guys campaign so hard for dog rights, so often is the case that people are unaware of how much an integral part of a family they represent.
lol, Drooby x
thanks for giving barking mad a mention, they do great work
A friend has told me that many years ago when he was an ex-pat living in Germany, he also noticed the dogs where everywhere – as a non dog person his main observation was that they where all so well behaved compared to what he experiences here in Australia.
I pointed out to him this “phenomenon” would have been out of necessity as the dogs where an active part of their owners life, not just as part of being a responsible owner but alway a safety aspect too.
It saddens me that here in Australia, pets and their owners are almost treated as second class citizens – denied the right to have an active life together. thank you for this piece. I did not know of Barking Mad but will make an effort to have a look.