daydream number one.

i thought since work is particularly mundane this afternoon, causing me to reflect on the glamor of paths not chosen, i would delve into one of my daydream careers - ceo of a non-profit organization benefiting the mangy yellow dogs of africa.

*cue 'dreamweaver' music a la 'wayne's world' and soft-focus lens.

the arf for africa! headquarters would be in dakar, senegal, since this was the city where i had my formative experiences with dirty street dogs. for those who don't know, yellow dogs appear to be hemorrhaging from every alleyway in west africa, as with most of the developing world. these dogs all look pretty much the same - lean, often skeletal, mangy, flea-bitten ears, ticks-a-plenty, and a wiry coat that ranges in color from a deep yellow-brown-amber to a light yellowish white that might even be white after a few well-timed baths and flea dips. they all have the same vacant gaze that is unlike that of domesticated dogs. they look past humans with a wary indifference. the yellow dogs of africa travel in packs and can usually be found lazing under a tree or the eaves of a neighborhood boutique in the daylight hours or scavenging trash bins, fighting amongst themselves, or hunting rodents in nocturnal revelry. in senegal and mali, which are both predominantly muslim countries, dogs are considered unclean and a nuisance, unless they are owned with the purpose of guarding the home.

whether in mali, senegal, or ghana, i take it upon myself to befriend the mangy yellow street dogs. i like to pretend that i am the dog whisperer, the pied piper of canines, the only person that these feral dogs will recognize as a pack leader and friend. i sneak them crusts of bread and remnants of my evening meals. i pull engorged ticks off of their necks and scratch their mangy ears. needless to say, this is not always appealing to my travel companions. once, when i was playing pack leader, i had twelve dogs following me through the streets. it was unlike anything i have ever experienced.

so, why benefit yellow dogs, when there are people in developing countries that don't have food or clean water? couldn't the resources go to a better use?

yes. they could.

however, there is really nothing being done to help these dogs and to control the animal population. since these animals live so close to humans, it only makes sense to keep them healthy and control their numbers. arf for africa! would do just that. since most locals do not keep dogs as pets for cultural or economic reasons, the chances of adoption are slim to none. however, creating a clinic to help spay and neuter dogs and provide vaccinations might be feasible. of course, some of the dogs would be adopted and kept as examples of the program's success.

eventually, the scope of arf for africa! would expand to include beasts of burden, as well as more metropolitan areas, and eventually, countries. we would partner with veterinary schools in europe and in the us so that we would have a full veterinary staff at all times. we would also work with veterinary students across west africa to train them in domestic animal care and community outreach.

so, that's one of my dreams. reading over this, it sounds like a grant proposal, so i apologize for boring anyone along the way. but i have big plans for the yellow dogs of africa.

if they only knew.