It's A Dog's Life

In my first post I mentioned walking my 14-year old beagle on the streets of Waikiki. Well, Sammy Beagle Becker got very ill and passed rather quickly. He is missed terribly, but he lived in Waikiki long enough to demonstrate one of the neighborhood’s really special traits.

Dogs feel very welcome in Waikiki.  In many cases there appear to be more canine residents than humans in many of the tall condos that line our streets. At any given time, hundreds of family dogs join their owners for a quick elevator ride down to the street, perhaps to take a leisurely “sniff n’ snort” walk along the Ala Wai canal or even to our storied beaches. Sammy used to prefer the sometimes bustling sidewalks.  People used to stop their vacation long enough to smile as he walked past, nose to the ground, or even to ask his name and permission to pet him.

Sometimes whole families would surround him with curiosity and love, and he always enjoyed the attention. From tiny toy dogs carried in their owner’s arms to the humongous Great Dane my neighbors have in their apartment (yes, he has his own bedroom) the parade of dogs is unending all hours of the day and night helps give Waikiki a distinctive character.

So, if you are contemplating a move to Waikiki, don’t forget to bring man’s best friend. If you do your homework and avoid the rabies quarantine period you can pick up your pet upon arrival at the airport. Then, you can treat your friend to a nice walk in Waikiki, where life appears to have gone to the dogs.