Street Dogs in Cusco

 One of the most astounding elements of the city of Cusco that I have experienced thus far is the sheer amount of dogs that roam the street without being under the care of an owner. No leash, no collar, sometimes matted fir, these dogs are almost all amiable; I haven't heard one bark or act hostile towards us the entire trip. According to globalteer.org, the last official estimate puts the number of stray dogs in the city at 14,000, but more recent figures suggest that number could be as high as 40,000!! That's a lot of canines! I noticed this same problem in the surrounding town of Pisac, as well. 

When discussing this with our tour guide, Patricia, she talked about how these dogs (those who aren't strays) often roam around during the day, playing with their canine friends, and then come home at night. To me, this is fascinating because of the vastly different dog culture that exists in the United States. In the United States, I've noticed dogs be overall less open towards people that aren't their owners. In the U.S., I feel that dogs are treated with more of that "man's best friend" attitude and are always by the side of a human owner. 

I told Patricia that in the United States, especially in the South where I originate, the problem of stray cats is more prevalent. She then replied to me that this isn't really an issue in Peru because the dogs end up killing any stray cat they find (a fact that made my feline-loving heart sink). Overall, I'm not sure whether these dogs are more a problem or just a quirk of the city. One has to consider the potential of disease and the potential of attacks from these dogs, with globalteer.org citing an average of 1,200 dog bites being reported in the city of Cusco each year. I wonder if there are any plans by city planners to control this growing canine population?