It’s certainly a dog’s life

WE sophisticated Westerners, depending on how well or badly we were dragged up, scoff or curl the lip at Hindu reverence towards cattle.
Our Indian friends are hardly alone; animal worship throughout the world is quite common.
Some of us are made of sterner stuff.  Yours truly is just one generation removed from a farming family.  
With the help and sturdy companionship of dogs, we lived as farmers for 1,000 years.
Farm dogs were extremely intelligent, disciplined, loyal and useful.
Most of us will have watched the BBC series, One Man and His Dog.  I relate to it well.  I spent happy years as a schoolboy in Corwen and Bala in North Wales. I don’t recall dogs as pets; partners in farm management certainly, but not pets.
Here in Spain, however, the canine species has morphed into a foot-dragging, ill-disciplined couch-surfing grubby bag of fur.  
If you will excuse the expression, we tend to ape Ancient Egyptians who venerated the cat species. They decorated their walls with images and statuettes of cats.  We prefer portraits of Rex and Fido, which I think is acting the goat.
Now, animal worship is all well and good if that is your thing.  Live and let live is my motto.
What I cannot understand is some dog owners hold conversations with their dogs as though they were human companions.  Ever thought of adopting or fostering a human rather than a canine child, ma’am?
The Royal Society for the Prevention of cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was founded in in 1824; the National Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSCPP) was founded in 1894.  Notice kids don’t get the Royal stamp of approval.  
In Denmark you can’t buy a pit bull terrier but you can visit the dog brothel.  In Germany bestiality brothels are legal.  Keep your eyes on your dogs, folk. They are on the lookout for good looking canines.
One of my mother’s oft used expressions was, ‘there’s nowt so queer as folk.’  
Well said, mother. RIP mum and a sense of proportion.