My third day at site, a woman showed up at my door and handed me a dusty, sleepy little bundle of puppy. She informed me that even though he was only 5 weeks old (too young, I know) that this tiny pup was now all mine & he would be good for my security (which is funny because he could barely walk at the time).
I immediately named him Honey. Why? His fur is the color of the local honey here, more importantly, I could now come home and say "Honey! I'm home!" and that brings me a lot of satisfaction.
Yes, he is male. Some people seem to think that means he can't be named Honey for that reason. Please do not say this to me. I will roll my eyes and tell you just how silly (read: stupid) I think that is. In fact, here is a haiku to express how I feel about comments like that:
Honey is made by bees
Bees are cool, just like my dog
Bees are cool, just like my dog
Don't be a bully
Anyway, rather than try and describe what it's like raising a dog in Benin, I'm gonna share some pictures and let them do the talking. I hear they're worth a thousand words, and as I've already said, writing is hard, and I'm quite sure everyone would much rather look at my dog, than read some descriptions about him.
So here he is!
 |
| Day 1: dusty, sleepy bundle of pup |
Hammocking with Hun
(takes a few seconds to load)
 |
| Most recent pic of pup (on the right) ft. his new friend who stayed with us while his volunteer was traveling |
Some Notes About Pets in Benin:
Having a pet in Benin is very different experience from having a pet in the U.S. Animals here often carry rabies or other diseases, so they are not approached with the same level of affection as they are in the US. Families like to have dogs for security, and keep their dogs outside and purposely trained to be aggressive. I can't get too close to any dogs in my neighborhood without being growled at. In fact, I've been told that Honey is "not mean enough" because he gets so excited to meet people (he's been known to pee on friends), and lets me pick him up and hold him.
Furthermore, it is a gamble to get attached to your pet. This is something I am constantly worried about--I know more than one volunteer who is on their third dog because of factors outside of their control. Many of the same threats--disease, malnutrition, traffic accidents--facing the human population are also present against dogs, and so the life expectancy for them is not impressive. Dog meat is also not an uncommon cuisine, and dog napping can also be a problem, especially as the pup grows into an adult.
Even so, it's pretty popular for volunteers to have a cat or a dog, or both at some point during their service. Some choose to take their pets home after the two years, while others choose to leave them in village. You have to make this choice pretty early on because it influences how you choose to raise your pup. Whereas many dogs stay outside and wander around village, Honey is house trained and stays indoors when I'm not home. If you choose to let your dog become a village dog, it's almost cruel to take it home and expect it to live such a dramatically different lifestyle. So it's not uncommon for volunteers to give their pet to a trusted neighbor or incoming volunteer.
Finally, this is not Honey (it's another volunteer's pup), but it is a pup and so it feels appropriate to include this here anyway. This is how mamas carry their babies around village. People in my village think I am the mother of dogs so here I am fueling this propaganda.
Alison, your Honey is a sweetie. Thank you for sharing him.
ReplyDeleteHe really is, thank you!
Delete