First things first: Bow’s no political junkie.
In fact, she aligns her snooze-time with when we turn on TV news.
So as Nov. 8 neared, we tried to guess what her political persuasion would be if we lived in a world where dogs vote.
Photo by Brady Rhoades
Democrat? Republican? Libertarian? Green Party? Or would she be independent?
We thought she might be a benign anarchist; she harasses anyone smacking of government. That includes campaigners, police officers, code enforcement officers, public works employees and, of course, mail carriers.
Then again, she treats me like a king. Is she pro-monarchy?
On the big day, we dressed her up and walked her a half-mile to the polls on Commonwealth Avenue in the city of Fullerton. She made friends of every kind. If you believe in Bow then she doesn’t care what else you believe in.
There were two animal-centric issues that, in the weeks leading up to the election, we asked our text-happy candidates about: 1) The BARK Act, a bill to provide food and relief to shelter dogs that’s working its way through the state legislature; 2) Orange County Animal Control, which has been closed to the public since COVID-19 and which some folks are pushing to open.
Unfortunately, issues involving animals were not a top five, or top 10, priority for any of the candidates we reached out to. That’s not to say they don’t care, or have zero skin in the game on those fronts. But they could do more to help pets, would-be pets and furry constituents in general.
Seal Beach is one city that’s done just that. Recently, officials opened a dog park (Zoeter Dog Park) at 12th Street and Landing Avenue.
Good on them.
Meantime, the Rhoades family is still debating whether Bow’s down with no government (anarchy) or a whole lot of government (monarchy).
Her politics just don’t make sense. When walking, she has no regard for rules and regulations, chronically trespassing and thieving (“put the ball back on the neighbor’s lawn, girl”). At home, she sits at my feet, waiting for a pet or proclamation.
