Anthony Hodge

“The Dogs of Bangalore” as seen through my eyes and cameras during two weeks of travel back
and forth to work and in the nearby Lalbaugh Botanical Gardens.

By Anthony Hodge
August 2008

Nestled between the old and the new buildings are the nooks and crannies where the city inhabi-tants (both 4 and 2-legged) are already going about their daily business.

The dogs seem very skittish, unless they actually sense I’m foreigner. They appear to not have a family or home, they simply coexist with humans as they go about their daily routine in search of
food and water. It is not uncommon to see both rummaging through the same alleys, bins or discarded containers.

There are other other animals in this mix of traffic, chickens, goats, even cows, sacred to most Indi-ans. Living life on the edge of these busy streets is a risky business, with the ever-confusing street signs and traffic lights, it’s amazing I did not see more accidents along the way.

Monsoon season is both a blessing and a curse - bringing coolness to heat-soaked, exhaust fumed
streets, or torrential downpours quickly washing away ones worldly belongings, giving birth to hordes of moquettes and flies that can make a dog’s life a living hell.

The Lucky Ones
The dogs in this beautiful park have either been selected to reside within the gates of these gardens or were clever enough to find their way in. The grounds offer an abundance of grassy fields, shade from 100 year old trees and flower gardensoffering tranquil paths from which to roam. Though there’s no apparent sources of food, the dogs looked better fed and happier. It almost seemed as if they were smiling No competition for food here, except perhaps the monkeys.

I don’t recall actually seeing any dogs wag their tails. Perhaps its the breed, which I’ve not been able to determine, perhaps they fear the two-legged creatures around them, out-numbering them at least one thousand to one. Or perhaps evolution has taught them to keep their tail tucked in close as to not have it snapped off as they dash in between the ever-flowing tide of automobiles and motor bikes.

My dog Molly doesn’t know just how good she has it. The streets of India are a culture clash - century old ways of life meeting head-on, the high tech globalized world of the future. Fortunate as I feel after being here these two short weeks, Molly should count herself as one of the luckiest dogs in the world.

Also see additional photos from the Gardens.