How the Sicilian city of Palermo embraces the stray dogs living on its streets
In Palermo, and across southern Italy, there are two main types of stray dog. There are the semi-wild packs that live on the edge of human settlements, and then there are the cani di quartiere: dogs of the neighbourhood. These dogs are known by everyone and owned by no-one. They sprawl out for naps in the middle of the pavement, frequent the same butchers for their scraps, play with the neighbourhood kids, and have friends – canine and human – all over the territory. Unlike strays in other parts of Europe, they aren’t rounded up and treated as a nuisance. They are protected by law, which guarantees their freedom as long as they are not a danger to people, animals, or property. There is a mutual relationship of reciprocity and respect between the residents and these dogs. Their lives are celebrated and their losses mourned, sometimes even with funerals, public art, and eulogies in the local paper.
Since moving to Palermo from Amsterdam two years ago, British writer and producer Georgia Walker has been fascinated by the lives of these animals, and what they mean to the city. But during that time, she’s also seen how their numbers are dwindling due to changing attitudes, sterilisation, and the impact of tourism. In the Anthropocene, and amid ecosystem collapse, the programme asks whether this relationship of reciprocity and care can allow us to imagine different ways of living with other species and our natural world.
Image: Bianchina, one of Palermo’s cani di quartiere (Credit: Georgia Walker)
Source: BBC World Service – The Documentary, The dogs of Palermo
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