I have always enjoyed my life as a dog in Mauritius, but it is starting to become more difficult. In the old days, I could wander around without much danger from ‘dog catchers’, and spend some time with all my male and lady friends in the street. Life was easy in those days because people would leave food outside for us (with no plastic wrapping) and there were not too many cars threatening to run us over.

<B>Collect picnic</B>

I used to enjoy a day at the beach, with some of my family, where we could really impress people. As we arrived, tourists and other groups of picnickers would move quickly away, sometimes leaving sandwiches and samoosas in the sand. A favourite uncle of mine, who specialized in brilliant ‘I’m such a hungry dog’ expressions could get them to throw him their chicken bones and pieces of bread.

We always knew that, if we waited in the trees long enough, the people would take a walk down the beach or pull off their clothes and jump into the sea. This was an excellent opportunity to go and collect the rest of their picnic and save them the trouble of packing it all away and taking it home. We all used to eat too much on those days, so to help us run home we would leave our large piles of stinking ‘poo’ on the beach.

The beach is now a dangerous place for us dogs. Dog catchers are always patrolling up and down. We don’t know where many friends and relations have gone, but we have seen them being put into the back of those vans. Those of us that have survived have had to identify with a family of people and pretend that they ‘own’ us. It is important that I don’t look like a ‘stray’ dog.

One family of people has been giving me some special snacks at their back door recently. I quite like this so I encourage them by looking ‘cute’ and sticking my tongue out, but I wouldn’t like to have to go inside their house and live with them, like dogs do in England. I love the freedom of the night.

We all like to get together after midnight to howl at the moon and see who can bark the loudest. The people that live here sometimes like to join in. I have seen them open their doors and windows and shout at us as loudly as they can, but it is never as loud as my friend Rufus when he puts his head right back and releases a monster bark.

Cars are more and more of a problem here. They are going faster and faster and hitting more of us dogs. Usually it is a broken leg or crushed paw, but sometimes my friends have been killed. When this happens we have our own ways of getting our revenge.

<B>Ambulance men at work</B>

We know how to make these cars crash into each other or into a wall. We stand by the side of the road, wait for a fast car, and then pretend we are going to make a dash across the road in front of it, but turn around at the last minute. When I have done this, I circle round and then come back to the scene because I like to see the ambulance men at work.

While life for us dogs in Mauritius has been getting harder in some respects, in others, it is as good as it has always been. I still look forward every Monday and Friday to my special feasts. More and more households have been using rubbish bins with lids for refuse which keep everything hot and rotting.

As you know, dogs have a special digestive system, where we prefer our food to be matured in the sun. It is very fortunate for us that household rubbish is not put straight into the Maxi-clean lorries. On Mondays and Fridays all the rubbish is taken out of the bins and left on the side of the road. It is often four hours before the lorry comes along to collect it.

These are golden hours for us dogs. I like to get along to my best spot, where I can thoroughly sort through it all. Sometimes it is very difficult to get hold of the juicier parts so I have to spread it out, all over the road. When there is too much for me to eat in one go, then I carry it away to hide, so I can come back to it the next day. I don’t always have time to bury it, so I sometimes have to share it with the rats. Sometimes I forget where I have put it, but I am sure something will enjoy it.

While this special weekly bounty exists, we will all prosper. Although it is difficult to know for sure, I feel confident that my family is growing well. I think I have about 30 or 40 children (recognized by the black spot on the left ear) and I can look forward to several more years of courting. I know that I must always be very careful, because people have been patting me on the head and telling me I am a ‘Good Dog’.

They don’t know that dogs talk to each other and we all know about the ‘Free Sterilisation for Dogs’ program at community centres. I think I will soon get more practice at the ‘dog bite’ routine. If I am threatened, I drop my head and make it look as though I am about to run away. Just when they think I am moving away, I circle round and go for the soft spot at the back of their legs – just above the ankle. That always gets them hopping mad.

<B>Jules JERRET</B>