Canine life in the capital

When we moved to Beijing from the Northeast in 1986, there was no question of bringing the family dog, Feihu. Those days, it would've been so "country cousin" to take a domesticated canine to the big city.

Imagine an animal in a modern government-issued apartment block! Alternatively, the neighbors might've viewed it as unpatriotically lavish. Feeding an extra mouth when every other dutiful citizen lives three to a household?! Either way, a pet was simply not an option in the old capital.

Pity little Feihu only lived to be 14 and never saw the sweet life of a canine in the capital today. Recently, I picked up a stray puppy. Following a much needed bath, the next order of business was to get my Xiaoheigou ("little black dog" for a brownish pooch) registered as a Beijing "resident".