DOMESTICATION

There is a strange things that happens in countries like Ecuador (which I visited last week), as well as Costa Rica (which I visited in December). There are dogs everywhere. All kinds of dogs, mostly mutts and they are all allowed to just roam free and be true pack animals. What was incredibly evident to me this time visiting Ecuador was that none of the dogs are getting hit by cars. Here in the United States, because of how we have domesticated animals and especially dogs, our pets run out into the street with no clue how dangerous the cars are that are heading straight towards them. In these other countries that I visited, the dogs know that the street means danger and that cars are huge dangerous things to be in front of. Now don’t get me wrong, I am sure there are dogs hit every once in a while, however if you put a bunch of dogs from the United States down there, it would be a nightmare of carnage. There is an order that is followed, so to speak. The children in those countries are the same way. Many times while we were driving, children around the ages of 3 -5 would be walking along the side of the road without any parents in sight. Donkeys, horses, cows, chickens, pigs…all of them roaming around without limits, all of them staying clear of cars on the roads, all of them contributing to the peaceful life. Now, I am by no means saying that this would be a good idea for this country…not saying that at all. I just thought it was pretty interesting and something to think about…