Yingjie Tang
Professor: Mohan
College Writing I- Stretch
April 30, 2014
Man’s Best Friend American author Josh Billings once said, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” For those who have never owned a dog or have had little interaction with dogs in their lifetime, it may be difficult to understand how such a pet can turn into a human’s best friend. The canine species cannot speak English and their physical features are drastically different from humans. Yet science research and studies predict that humans have been domesticating dogs for nearly 16,000 years, if not longer. According to National Geographic, “today’s dogs were likely domesticated from gray wolves.” Over these many thousands of years, they have become their own separate species from wolves, known as canis lupus familiaris. Today there are hundreds of different breeds of dogs – some are small, some are tall, some have long hair, while others have short hair. People around the world love adopting dogs into their families; they are the most popular pets to own and can be found living in rural country areas, as well as big urban cities. Author Jonathan Foer wrote an article for the New York Times defending dogs and giving them a voice; he depicted dogs as friendly and loving. Dogs should be off leash.
Throughout this essay supportive reasons and examples will explain why the issue of letting dogs off leash and free or keeping them leashed will always be important. Populations are increasing in cities, therefore, the population of dogs that become pets will also increase. Dogs have always been considered man’s best friend and in order for this to remain true, then they need to be treated just like friends. It cannot be argued that dogs deserve time to get their energy out off leash in parks to stay happy and healthy. Jonathan Foer and other dog owners love to watch their dogs run fast and it’s watching their dogs be carefree that brings them happiness as well. Authors like Foer want to celebrate the brilliant animals that dogs are. Dogs are some of the smartest animals, they can live in nearly any environment all over the world. They are man’s best companion, they can serve and benefit the community, and above all else they continue to be the number one popular choice as pets for prospective owners. They make life worth living to millions around the world.
Dogs are able to live and survive in many types of environments, but there are many challenges dogs face when living in big cities. Dogs are perhaps the most favored and popular domesticated pets to own throughout the entire world. They inhabit six out of the seven continents and there are over 83 million dogs in the United States alone according to the Human Society. For example, many people may be unaware, but New York City has a very high population of dogs. Foer quoted back in 2006 that 1.4 million dogs lived with people in New York City. One major challenge that dogs face when living in large communities like New York, is that few people have backyards for their dogs to run and play in. Another challenge involves the inside living space for dogs. The majority of citizens living in big cities live in small apartments or large building complexes. Dogs must adapt to an environment where there is less space to walk, play, sleep, and eat. Yet it is clear that many different breeds of dogs are capable of living under these conditions; Foer described seeing, “retrievers in elevators, Pomeranians on No. 6 trains, and bull mastiffs crossing the Brooklyn Bridge” (Foer 214).
Using New York City as the main example, it is apparent that large cities must compromise and create spaces for the dogs to use within the community. This is reflected in the number of dog parks that have increased over the last half-decade. Owners of dogs realize that it is crucial that dogs have a space to exercise and play just like humans do. New York City has been helping solve the problem by
