Dogs are a man’s best friend: true. Too much of something can be bad: false. Too many dogs can never be a bad thing.
Dressed in adorable outfits (to match the weather of course) or just strutting their impeccably shiny coats, these four-legged balls of happiness fill the streets of Florence.
I did not pass a day in the city of Firenze without being in awe or saying “awww” when I saw a dog pass by me wiggling its tiny little tushie and owning the streets. Dogs have held a special place for the Florentine people and this love dates to centuries ago. They represent symbols of loyalty and companionship to the Florentines. Hunting dogs were used as a common icon in Italian art during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period and this slowly gave way to painting dogs as companion animals often sitting on a lady’s lap. This growth in trust between the canines and the Florentines now allows dogs to be let off their leashes and roam the streets at their own leisure.
What makes it better is that you can find dogs in museums, cafeterias, restaurants (with cute little doggy bowls outside), stores etc. because of a law that was passed back in 2008 by the Florentine government allowing them to enter these places. The only place that restricts entry to dogs however is the Teatro del Maggio Musicale, the Florence Opera House (humans just have to be a little selfish sometimes).
While you may be tempted yet scared to play with a dog, the owners are usually happy to let you do so if you just ask for permission (I’m sure it’ll be worth it). Feeling down? Walk outside to see a fluffy poodle walking with grace or a Bolognese dog that can be easily mistaken for a toy or a German Shepard brimming with confidence or even a pampered little Chihuahua showing off its new bow-tie in that lady’s outrageously expensive handbag.
[This post was composed by Megha Reddy, a Sophomore studying Public Health]