The City of Lights is also The City of Love. But, it's not all about lovers kissing passionately on the romantic bridges. My non-scientific observation is that Parisians really, really love their dogs. You can tell that the dogs are real sweethearts!Dogs are literally everywhere you look - streets, shops, handbags, cars and restaurants.
While walking in the Luxembourg Gardens, an elderly lady picked up her precious pup, kissed her and placed her in her large handbag. Hair coiffed in a perky Paris style, my photo thrilled the little dog's owner. A petite Italian Greyhound, donned in a stylish collar and coat, had her own matching blanket to lie upon while dining indoors at a fabulous cafe. As thin and trim as a runway model wearing the latest haute couture, the fabulous dog shunned my attempts at puparazzi when we passed later on the street.
Just like movie stars, dogs know when you're trying to take a photo and look away. I had to adjust my photographic maneuvers in order to capture my subjects unnoticed. With a great zoom lens and a swivel viewer, it was easy to keep my camera low as I photographed the canine companions.
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Don't be fooled by the prissy pupulation. Not all of the dogs were decked out in haute couture. Most dogs, sans fancy collars, hairstyles or coats - wore standard leashes or were freely working at their owner's shops. It is clearly a culture where dogs are considered family members. They live indoors. With all of the walking on city streets and parks, the dogs must get plenty of exercise, just like their Parisian owners.
Paris is The City of Lights and The City of Love. Many Parisians wear their hearts at the end of leashes!
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It's fun to watch dogs, shoot dogs (with a camera) and garden with dogs.
For the love of dogs everywhere, please take time to review and bookmark this list of toxic plants provided by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
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Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel.