‘There are people who have dogs and then there are dogs who have people,’ I said to Camp who was already enjoying a pint of golden liquid in our usual spot by the harbour. 

            ‘I know what you mean,’ Camp said. Dogs are a big responsibility. There are those who have dogs for companionship, some who have them to guard against bears and thieves and then there are those who have dogs, especially the small designer breeds, as accessories. I can never get over it when they drag the small animal on its 3-inch legs behind them.’

            ‘And then there are those who use dogs as deterrents. Some pit bulls are like loaded guns,’ I said. 

   ‘Some dog owners lavish so much emotional capital onto their pets as if they were people, and instead of proper training they yell at them as if the dogs could understand.

   Pets can fill an emotional void, maybe even in lieu of a child, but they can be valuable companions for lonely and elderly people. Dogs get their owners out walking and dog people have an affinity with other dog owners and thus have an unlimited amount of dog lore to talk about. There are so many dogs these days, in high-rise apartments and small flats, left alone all day or fostered out to doggie daycare. It’s a massive industry from petfood to vets.’

            ‘Let me consult Siri,’ I offered. ‘There are approximately 8 million cats and 6 million dogs in Canada. Approximately 35% of Canadian households have a dog and 38% have a cat. (source: Ipsos Reid). From 2020-2022, the Canadian dog and cat populations continued to grow, increasing from 7.7 million to 7.9 million for dogs, and from 8.1 million to 8.5 million for cats. Pet food sales in the US increased by 10 percent in 2020 to a total of US$ 42 billion for the year (according to American Pet Products Association, APPA), and Canada exported $ 1.1 billion worth of pet food in 2020,’ I quoted. 

            ‘I’m in the wrong business,’ Camp said, ‘And more people seem to have acquired a dog during the pandemic. I’m wondering if they kept them once we could travel again.’

    ‘As inflation puts cost pressures on pet owners and many return to in-person work, people are surrendering their pandemic pets, overwhelming animal shelters across the country, according to a CBC report. The L.A. Times just ran an article about overcrowding shelters and the L.A, City Counsel moved to halt new permits for dog breeding.’

    ‘Yes, people got lonely and worked from home. Ergo, get a dog. And thanks to us carnivores who eat all the meat, the pets get all the innards, bones, blood and viscera. Nothing gets wasted. It’s all protein.’

 ‘Interesting point,’ I said. 

‘Did you ever have a dog?’ 

            ‘No, but when I was a kid, I fantasised about a Lassie dog and when we were in New Zealand I looked after a Weimaraner for a few months. It was a very needy dog with unbounded nervous energy and it hated poodles but we definitely took a liking to each other. But with our travel and work lives we could never see the room for a dog.’

            ‘Same here,’ Camp said. I often thought about having a dog, one that would obediently lay at my feet in the book store and walk me home at the end of the day but I decided against it because it entailed to much responsibility for my liking.’

            I asked Vicky, our server, if she had a pet when she brought our fresh pints around.

            ‘I have a stuffed dog, Fluffy, that’s been with me since early childhood. It’s very cuddly and no bother at all and doesn’t mind staying home alone.’

            ‘Also, no pet food,’ Camp said.

            ‘And no pooper scooper,’ Vicky added laughing.