Mexi-Ghetto

Politically incorrect but true

I have written about the positives about my neighborhood in spite of the illegal activity and low income that surrounds me.  Since I am the minority, I make myself as invisible as possible and interact only when there is no doubt it is welcome.  For the most part this is a "Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil" zone not only for me, but for the others, too.  There are quite a few people living across the street from me in housing that has been split up to make apartments, some of which are probably one room studios, using the term studio loosely.  They don't want any trouble, either.  Life is hard enough.

If you would please look at the above map, I live in the Mexi-Ghetto/Ghetto-Lite section.  What is a white girl sliding into her mid-fifties doing living there, you ask?  I have a whole house to myself and my rent, which I can afford, includes wireless internet.  Utilities are very low, too, as sometimes my landlord doesn't even charge me for my part of the bill.  He's got his office in the attached garage and pays the first $100.  My mother finds it very disturbing that I live here in this neighborhood.  I don't blame her for feeling that way.  The only way I live with it myself is to not think about it until I am forced to by events that happen around me.  Lately there have been a few events that, duty-bound, I have had to poke my head out of my shell and acknowledge.

Fairness has been big with me going back to when I was a child.  Everything had to be fair.  Is this a middle child syndrome or because I am a Libra?  I don't know.  It just is and I have had to accept it and, at times, temper the drive to force it.  Even though it makes me crazy, it is not always possible to bulldoze fairness into a situation.  Other people don't always see things as I do and while I excel at debate and friendly arguing (I've been told over and over that I should have been a lawyer.) not everyone is going to agree with me all of the time.

Two doors up is a Hispanic family (hence the "Mexi-Ghetto") with a son that is probably around 13 years old and a younger son and daughter still in single digits.  I liked them until they got a puppy.  It is probably a Chihuahua/Terrier mix larger than Poppy with the same colors.  The kids used to take the dog for walks until it wasn't fun anymore.  Now that it has been one year since they got it, I have seen some disturbing activity and so I've called Animal Services on three separate occasions.  I'm actually calling the Sheriff's non-emergency number since it was after hours but in the end they have the authority to dispatch an Animal Service's Officer.

This is way outside of my rule of invisibility.

One day I noticed the family had bought the dog a pretty yellow doghouse.  Then I noticed the dog in a crate in the dog house clearly upset and barking its little head off.  It became commonplace to see a mop and mop bucket drying outside their door.  Well, maybe this was a one time deal.  It wasn't and after seeing the poor dog locked up a couple of days in a row I had to call Animal Services.  I didn't see any water provided and this was outside in the heat when it gets to a real feel of 105 degrees.  Their yard is completely fenced in.  What is wrong with letting the dog run around?

The next day the crate was no longer in the doghouse but not much longer afterward it was back and so was the dog.  On to my second call to the Sheriff.  Once again a change was made but it didn't last.  Plus, it was worse.  Not only was the dog in the crate in the doghouse, add to that a piece of plywood in front of the doghouse so that not only could the dog not see out but people couldn't see in, either.  There was about a 1 foot space for air to get in and I am sure there was no circulation.  This was solitary confinement.

At this point I am seeing red.  I don't care if those kids prostrate themselves on the floor crying their eyes out to the animal services officer.  I want this dog to stop being tortured.  I explain the situation for the 3rd time adding the new development.  I am so upset I am on a tear.  Again I am promised Animal Services will be sent out.  About 20 minutes later when I take the trash to the road for pick-up I see the officer walking up to their door.  I hope this will finally get the dog out of there and to a better life.

The next day, which was yesterday, I see the dog outside in the yard running around.  I have more than one call into the officer to find out what is going on.  They can't give me the information over the phone and I can't leave work to walk in and ask for it.  I leave a message asking for the officer to call me. It is now 6:15 pm I have heard nothing.  I was assured earlier today that the officer has my message asking her to call me and she will.

I am mad about this for two reasons.  The first is the health of the dog.  The second is what this is teaching the kids.  I want them to know that this is not the way a pet should be treated.  I want them to become defenders of the defenseless, not continuing the chain of cruelty.  I don't want this behavior perpetuated.  By allowing this to continue, Animal Services is just as guilty as the adults in this family.

I'm sure after reading this you aren't in the mood to hear about how I was woken up at 2:30 in the morning a few days ago by door banging, yelling, and cop activity across the street.