Frankfurt

Every day, Paula gets up at seven o’ clock, three hours before she has to go to work. She prepares a special dish for her spoilt friend “Eins” and accompanies him on a walk in the neighbourhood or the park around the corner so he can relax and relieve himself. Then she goes back home with him where he listens to some music or watches a special film for dogs of his elite race, the Alsatian.

Eins behaves like a good child who always obeys his parents. On the road, he always walks on the right side, does his business in the right places and looks at Paula when he is finished. Then Paula cleans away his business and puts it into a bag.

Paula says that Eins means all the world to her while she puts his coat on for him, which is supposed to protect him from the biting cold. They are on their way to Frankfurt, where they want to go shopping on Paula’s day off. That also is where Eins has his swimming lessons with a special teacher, which usually take place three times a week. After that he will go to the hairdresser’s, because he was invited to an evening do where the most beautiful and intelligent dog will be elected.

Eins has a long shopping list: aside food, he needs toothpaste, shampoo, products for soft and fragrant fur, a new dining table, a new tie and new clothes for the New Year’s Eve party. Paula never forgets to decorate her dog’s room for all seasons and to celebrate with him and his friends.

“He has nice friends who are on the same level as him particularly when it comes to cleanliness”, Paula says and adds: “I would never let Eins have stray dogs as friends, because I took a lot of trouble to train him, and he loves me and respects my opinion.”

No doubt, Eins leads a luxurious life which no child from a middle-class Lebanese family is able to lead. The dog costs Paula about 1,000 euros a month – three times the minimum wage in Lebanon. In addition, he enjoys the democracy – at least at the election of the most beautiful and intelligent dog of his race.

But not only there: a few days ago, 100 people demonstrated with their dogs in front of the Hessian broadcasting agency Hessischer Rundfunk in Dornbusch, because the programme “Herrchen gesucht” (Owner wanted) had been cancelled. There are five million dogs in Germany, of which 13,500 alone live in Frankfurt. With an upward tendency. Thus, dog breeding, training and everything related to dogs is very profitable: in Goethe’s country, there are 100,000 jobs related to dogs, a sector that produces a turnover of five billion euros every year.

According to statistics, the Germans prefer pure-bred dogs, which account for around 66 percent of all dogs, but can cost several hundred or even far more than 1,000 euros. Half-breeds are often given away as presents. You cannot walk around the quiet streets of Frankfurt without seeing a dog going for a walk loyally and safely with his owner.

Keeping dogs is a German tradition; still it is strange for foreigners that the dogs have such an exposed, wonderful status in the streets. However, it still is sad that most children in third-world countries including the Arab countries do not enjoy the interest and luxury provided to dogs in Germany.

It would not be so far off for people to wish they were born as a dog in Germany instead of living a life as one of many people living on the fringes of society in our countries.