Collared.

He didn’t stick around for very long but the damage had obviously been lengthy in the making.  We called him, ‘Spotty’. 

Bali Street Dogs have historically been unfamiliar with human touch, a reality that had been the norm for hundreds of years as they existed with our species in a parallel fashion and balanced way.

Recently due to the outbreak of rabies on the island the dogs have been forced into contact with more and more humans but that bringing together has certainly not been in the way they or anyone would have really expected or wanted.

It is impossible to expect Bali Street Dogs to be like other dogs in regard to human touch, they do not seek it or come willingly for affection.  That doesn’t make them better or worse than any other breed of dog; it’s just simply who they are and what they have been for a very long time.  It’s not that they don’t like people if you look at it anthropomorphically; it’s just that they don’t really trust humans and who can seriously blame them for that.

So when a Bali Street Dog is forcibly collared and the necklace is tightened, especially when it is a young dog, the chance of removal as they grow is miniscule in the extreme.  For a breed that had trust issues in the past, a whole new genetic line of present avoidance has now been created, complete with a mindset that will continue enacting itself into the future.

The adolescent black and white spotted Bali Street Dog had obviously had his yellow rabies collar placed upon him as a young puppy and as close as he would come unfortunately he couldn’t come close enough.  Not close enough for contact, not near enough to grab his collar.  Not within reach to cut the necklace that was eating through his fur, chewing into his neck.

Spotty disappeared before he could be cornered and netted once again.  His fear was understandable; his fate undeniable. 

A collar so tight has only one conclusion, infection and slow strangulation.    

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