Bangkok Street Dogs

A place to learn about the lives of street dogs in Bangkok, Thailand, with emphasis on the individual characters of the Bangkok street dog community and their stories of hardship and humor.

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Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Caught In The Act



I caught this sneaky little devil -- a good friend of mine -- catching a drink from a roadside noodle stand very close to the Queen Sirikit Center in Bangkok. She think's no one's watching, but she's wrong. But Bessie, a two year old white hound of mixed terrier/ridgeback heritage, can drink to her heart's content at this particular noodle shop, because the proprietors always leave a full bowl of fresh water out for her.

Bessie is thirsty because she's been chasing cats in the 95 degree F March heat. In Thailand this time of year, it gets so hot you can feel it in your soul, but that doesn't keep Bessie from engaging in her favorite pastime: Scaring the holy hell out of cats by chasing every one she sees on the streets of Bangkok.

It's pure sport to Bessie -- she's harmless -- but the cats don't usually stick around to verify that for themselves.

In fact, in this photo, Bessie had just sensed a cat passing by across the street, behind her. She's actually got very strong rearview radar, and about 10 seconds after I snapped this shot, was hot on the trail of a grayish brown stray cat. I could hear the sound of her howling and barking as she receded from view into the crowded Klong Toey market.

Later, as we sat and chatted together on a sidewalk in the humid night, Bessie recounted the story with a kind of childlike enthusiasm that made me smile.