French people seem to be mad about dogs. Everyone has one, whether on a leash, in a bag, in a basket on their bicycle, or even carrying them around in their arms like a baby. (At least they don’t put them in clothing, as people tend to do in Asia.) Even homeless people all have dogs, and Toulouse (and Paris too, come to think of it) apparently has a lot of homeless people. I really don’t know why… perfectly healthy looking young people, living in tents by the river, and sleeping on sidewalks. And without fail, all of them have dogs, probably both for companionship, and for protection.

Now the problem with living in a town full of dogs is that there is merde everywhere, and I hope you don’t need me to translate that word for you. This is definitely something I do not like at all about France! Sidewalks with doggy doo all over the place, smeared on people’s shoes or left in huge piles in the middle of the walkway for people to dodge. What is up with this? How can you watch your dog do this on a public sidewalk, and then just walk away and leave it for people to step in? In most places in Asia this wouldn’t be allowed. In Hong Kong it is the law to walk with a plastic bag to pick up your dog’s business, and there are bins everywhere specifically for disposing of these bags. But in France, you have to always watch where you step or you really get into the thick of it!

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