They’re literally everywhere you look,

in any direction, all the time. Dogs of all shapes and sizes cover the whole of Central America and the Caribbean, an undeniable sign of life and resilience in an often hardscrabble environment. They appear solo or in small packs, always with an agenda of either great urgency or else no urgency at all; there is no middle ground. Some of them are free range but most find a territory to call home. The same pups in the same areas become familiar neighbors and part of the daily routine. The small group pictured here are some of the local cast of characters in and around Burns Avenue. Some or all of these guys can be found lazing about in the sun and looking up with big brown eyes at the tourists passing through this mostly pedestrian thoroughfare in downtown San Ignacio, Belize. They’ve won the Potlicka lottery, living decent lives compared to most. These guys have plenty to eat and can wander down to the river to get fresh water. Plus people love them- they’re goofy, affable and cute. They’re also very self-aware and play their part well, seeming to sense which people are worth approaching for a handout and which people they should just ignore.

The Story of Holiday Hound

We had only been living in Belize a few months and were renting a house in the Kontiki area of San Ignacio, which is a residential area on the outside edge of town. It’s a fantastic neighborhood. The area has a lot of open green space and even some bush still, with all sorts of birds and other animals. There are dogs everywhere, some with collars and homes and some without, but all of them prone to sleeping in the middle of the road and wandering where they please. It was the day after Christmas 2020, and we were loving life in Belize. Far from the winter weather we had grown accustomed to living with in Chicago, Belize was a spectacular 85 degrees. We sat outside under our carport in the front of the house and soaked it up, waving at occasional passers by. As we enjoyed the afternoon a dirty and emaciated puppy wandered up to the gate and wagged slightly, as if to ask for assistance. He seemed to need a meal, but otherwise looked healthy. He immediately and happily devoured the only food we could find in the house to feed a puppy- slices of ham. 

His energy level returned immediately.

Once he had a meal and that puppy energy returned, he wanted to play and be with us all the time. We took him to the vet, got him his shots, got some actual dog food, and picked up a few toys. And we named him Holiday since he showed up between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

He’s quite the personality.  

It’s amazing to see what a random dog from the street transforms into when he’s given a decent meal and safe place to stay. It’s been a remarkable experience and now Holiday has been a part of the family for three years. He’s a tremendous companion and a wonderful addition to the team!