In the doghouse now.

Last night Sharon and I had the pleasure of hosting our friend Jeremiah on his last night in Haiti. He's been working with a program in Gresier outside of PaP. He met us at the office, went to the market with Sharon, and welded with Ben and me. We stopped at the overlook in Boutilliers on the way up to Kenscoff, made supper together, and - but I know all of you are waiting with bated breath for news about our new dog friend Bella.

Once we arrived at home last night she came running (and shaking) up to us. This dog is about as nervous as you can get, and always pretty cautious of humans. Smart dog: most dogs get hit a lot in Haiti so she has plenty of justification for being afraid of us. After she shook her skinny nervous body over to us, she seemed hungry and thirsty so I gave her some water and a granola bar. (Really, it's all we had.) She was totally excited and proceeded to spend the rest of the night curled up next to Jeremiah and the edge of his sleeping bag trailing on the patio. When we went in for bed she cried and cried, and when we left at 6am the following morning there she was eager to greet us... and eat a few pieces of bread.

It looks like the neighbor, also known as the dog's owner, seems to be absent. So there's no one to feed the dog or give it water. Really, who abandons a dog? Anyhow, my new theory is that the owner is MIA and since we love the dog more we should rescue her from her negligent owner. (I just looked at the implications of this possible decision and it is indeed easier for a Haitian dog to enter the USA than a Haitian. Dogs don't take other people's jobs, I guess, but they may unfairly compete for resources at PetCo. Hmmm.)

Well, not to be too philosophical, but it does raise the question: why am I willing to care for a dog more readily than a person in need? Is it just because the needs are so much more finite and easier to address? Is it that dogs don't ask me for help six times an hour? Maybe animals are just easier to deal with than people sometimes. Maybe I should have a softer heart. Whatever the answer is,I'm wondering what it would mean if this is the only life I save in Haiti.