Idaho Gone to the Dogs and You Barely Noticed

A young Steve Martin used to wisecrack on stage that he had been at home doing terrible things to his dog with a fork. It got a big laugh from the absurdist comedian he portrayed at the time. How we treat our animals says a great deal about us. I’ve mentioned in other posts that Idaho has a lot of working dogs. We don’t always dress them in sweaters and shower them with treats. In some surveys, the impression has been given that we’re not as kind as some guy walking his small dog in a smog-filled urban park.

However environmental factors may favor Idaho as a haven for canines. According to Showsight Magazine, Idaho is a healthy place for dogs—the seventh-best state in the USA. The site looked at several issues. Temperature, air quality, and the level of disease spreading tick season.

The survey doesn’t delve into veterinary care. I wrote a couple of weeks ago that we’re experiencing a shortage of veterinarians, but that would appear to be a concern across the country.

I would think one advantage of Fido is the open spaces we have. Activity is good for the animals, and some are roaming across thousands of acres of ranchland. My guess is, that the dogs enjoy the freedom.

One of my longest-lasting memories of Idaho is walking out of the Oxbow Cafe in Bliss. This was many years ago. There was a flatbed truck in the parking lot, and four dogs waiting calmly on the box for the driver to return. They looked happy just waiting on a ride.