It's a doggie dog world in Steveston

It’s not Paris but dogs are obviously very near and dear to the Stevestonite heart.

Just take a walkabout on a sunny day and your legs might get tangled up in a leash or two.



A short jaunt past the waterfront restaurants and you risk kicking stainless steel water dishes and even a doggie biscuit.

And guess what’s the most popular ice breaker when two dog walkers come head to head on the street?



I don’t know how many canines call Steveston home and the ratio of owners to dogs, but a friend hires herself out as a pet boarder and care-giver. Let’s just say that if she were to strike the word “no” from her vocabulary, she would spend her days – and evenings – jogging beside, tripping over, and having her shoulders pulled out of their sockets by a convoy of canines. Or even by one solitary pooch. There is no shortage of clients, it seems.

For those of you who are ailurophiles, take heart. Steveston is not an exclusive bark community. Now and then, you can see a furry face with whiskers atwitchin' in a window.



Or see a bushy striped tail brushing past someone’s flowerbed. But cats prefer to preserve their dignity by keeping a low profile.

I often bemoan the fact that mine refuses to walk beside me on a leash, peek out of a pet tote, ponder the road ahead from a bicycle basket, or just press itself next to my ankles while I read a book in an outdoor café.

Instead, he prefers his own company. In fact, his favourite indoor activity is to perch himself atop his favourite stool and spy on Mr. Crow or Mr. Squirrel on our front lawn - while his whiskers tremble and his tail swishes back and forth.