Bob Barker Would Shit his pants if he came anywhere near Cartagena…

I’ve never seen so many animals strolling down the street; leash less, free and with all the parts that they were born. It’s a beautiful thing.

On the beach, near my cousin’s water sports school, lives a dog named Toto. He’s the beach mascot. The beach is his home. Everyone knows him. Everyone likes him. He’s one of the kindest dogs you’re likely to meet (unless, of course your another dog who is invading his territory).

He’s a mutt by every definition of the word. From what I can gather, he must be part Labrador because he is light yellow in color and about the size of medium Lab. But he has dark spots over much of his body, kind of like a cow but not as distinct as our milk giving friends.

He’s smart as a whip too.

My cousin came home tonight with one his friends and picked me up after they finished working at the school. They brought Toto along with them on their mile long journey from the beach to the house. Our plan was to grab the car, drive the dog back to the beach and drop off the dog before we went out for the evening.

But Toto was stubborn. He didn’t want to get in the car. So we had to devise another plan. The three of us hopped in the car and began to drive. We opened the windows and beckoned the dog to follow us. To my surprise, Toto followed the car. We’d drive straight; he’d follow behind us. We’d make a left or a right and so would Toto.

I’ve only once before seen a dog follow a bunch of kids in a car and that was probably the smartest, most well behaved and well trained dog I’ve ever known. But this dog, this homeless wanderer of Cartagena, was just as smart.

Some may think that this is sad; a waste of what could be a beautiful pet. The way I see it though, he’s the cities pet. No one can claim ownership. He’s free, he’s tame and he’s enjoying his life.

On a side note, I see only one downside to letting animals roam the streets. Earlier in the afternoon I was walking down the street and I encountered a puppy that couldn’t have been more then three months old. All I wanted to do was pick it up and take it home with me. Hopefully someone else did.