There’s a schizophrenia in our society – one which can get completely ga ga and misty eyed about dogs and puppies (just think of Obama’s loving gesture in front of millions to his kids the other night about bringing a pup to the White House) – yet the reality of what dogs are and what they and their owners need is lost on most people. The pet industry is one of the fastest growing in America, dog ownership is busting through the roof as many people choose dogs before having children while they are struggling with careers, or empty nesters add a pup.

Dog breeding is unregulated, puppy mills are rarely prosecuted for horrific abuses, animals are pouring onto the ‘market’. At a local pet store in Emeryville, backyard breeders are offering pitbulls, chihuahuas and dachshunds on notice boards. One of the dachshunds was born blind (a direct result of the type of breeding these people are doing) and they are giving that one away for free. Nice. Insurance companies are adding more and more breeds to the lists of unacceptable dogs, renters with dogs can’t find anywhere to live. And in a new movie ‘Just What Happened’ a major part of the plot revolves around whether or not a filmmaker should let the dog be shot at the end of the movie or whether that act alone would doom the movie to the public opinion trash can.

We are not solving the real problems of pet animal (re)production and the resulting destruction of millions every year – but those of us who run our dogs off leash in OUR public parks are trying our very best to be the ‘responsible’ dog owners we feel we have an obligation to be, and to have to face the open hostility of people who simply hate dogs (whether for ‘good’ or ‘bad’ reasons) is just….well, it just increases the kind of polarity we could do without.

I always get a fair amount of hate mail when I write ‘dog positive’ stuff. I get accused of hating birds, of despoiling the environment. Obama’s loving gift to his family will be echoed around the country as kids ask from their dads what the two new White House kids are getting for Christmas.

Kids growing up with a dog or cat or any pet to cherish and to learn from is a beautiful thing. In the case of the Obama’s dog, there will be plenty of space to run around. Most others will have to make do with the public parks system, which we pay for and care for every bit as much as anyone else.