Horses and other animals

I have heard form other sources about the so called abuse of animals in Mexico. I being an animal lover was a bit concerned. Not over wrought just a bit concerned. In my travels about the villages on the south side of Lake Chapala I began to notice animals of all kinds being kept as pets and lovingly taken care of by their Mexican owners.

I would often see a Mexican man and his dog walking, no leash just voice commands and obvious affection between the two. In many shops I entered there were one or more pet dogs of the shop owner lazing about looking for all the world as a spoiled and well loved pets. There are dogs kept as watch dogs on the roofs of some of the houses and businesses and that can seem to be a bit strange to a foreigners eyes. The I remembered there are a lot of junk yards and other business that employ guard dogs in the states, what is the difference? Now and then I would see a stray dog, cats are hard to tell if they are stray or not as they are more independent.

The horses I saw were well cared for and healthy looking all were of the pleasure riding variety. Seems it is not unusual for someone to have horse to ride about town on and they all seem to be well cared for and treated well.

Here in the photo above are two canine companions waiting with the horse for their owner to finish his visit and when he finished he mounted up and without a word quietly rode away with the dogs following happily behind.