Dear Editor,
As one traverses the streets and highways (mostly in and around Georgetown) one cannot help but notice an increase, possibly proliferation, of dog food vendors.
About 10 years ago on a visit to a Jamaican supermarket, I was impressed with the number of aisles in the supermarket with dog food. I commented to my companion that this is an evolved society (or at least a segment of it) that cared about animals. She corrected me that the interest in dogs was because of the increase in crime in the society and the dogs were an alarm and a deterrent for criminals in home invasion and burglaries. The variety and availability of dog food was also an indication of the growing inequalities in the society as some persons spent more on their dog’s food than some families on groceries.
So, what is the increase in the number of dog food vendors in and around Georgetown tell us? An increase in crime, an increase in affluence of some segments of the population, an increase in inequality in the society, or all of it? I don’t think it is an increase in animal lovers.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
