From hungary-online-owner Wed Jun 14 01:40:53 1995 Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) (fnord) by nando.yak.net (8.6.5/8.6.5) id BAA02821 for hungary-online-out31415; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 01:40:53 -0700 Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) (fnord) by nando.yak.net (8.6.5/8.6.5) id BAA02812; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 01:40:42 -0700 Received: from jhorv@mars.iif.hu () via =-=-=-=-=-= for hol@hungary.yak.net (2810) Received: from mars.iif.hu (mars.iif.hu [192.84.225.92]) (fnord) by nando (8.6.5/8.6.5) with SMTP id BAA02804 for ; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 01:39:43 -0700 Received: by mars.iif.hu (5.67a8+/ULTRIX-1.01) id AA10086; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 10:38:07 +0200 Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 10:38:04 +0200 (MET DST) From: John Horvath To: Hungary On-line Subject: (HOL) dogs in hungary Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Charset: US X-Char-Esc: 0 Sender: owner-Hungary-Online@hungary.yak.net Precedence: bulk Reply-To: Hungary-Online@hungary.yak.net Hello people, Here's one that is slightly different than what I usually publish. Enjoy. :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leading a Dog's Life by John Horvath Budapest is a city going to the dogs -- literally. Apart from the prestigious pedestrian and shopping street in the middle of town (Vaci u.), the streets of this eastern European city -- referred to by some as "the Paris of Central Europe" -- are indubitably stained by the biological waste management systems of man's best friend. In the many parks throughout the city, children no longer play and lovers no longer walk -- muddy shoes being the least of their problems. For the majority of visitors and tourists, Budapest's pooch problem is, without question, disgusting. What may surprise foreigners, however, is that many residents are just as fed up and disgusted. Though indignation is widespread, albeit at a polite level, little has been done about it. The few initiatives that have been undertaken, meanwhile, have had little effect; some have been downright farcical. In one area of the city, a solution to the problem lay in painting yellow pictures of a dog captioned by the acronym "WC" (i.e. toilet) at various points along the sidewalk. Naturally, the plan did not work. Even if it had, it would not have gotten rid of the problem but merely localized it. In a way, having dogs concentrate their efforts in one area would appear to be more disgusting than it being spread out, as it is done at present. What would seem logical -- and is the practice in many cities -- is to implement rules concerning the keeping of dogs (and other pets). In large tenement buildings and small apartments alike, dogs of all sorts are kept -- from petite poodles to gigantic German Shepherds. It is not unusual for a person in Budapest to keep two or three dogs in a small two-room apartment in the center of the city. Both those who own dogs and those who don't justify the enigma in one of two ways. Firstly, this situation has always been so. Secondly, to implement measures aimed at curbing the problem is undemocratic, an infringement of one's rights and freedom. The SPCA, if it ever established itself in this part of the world, would surely be condemned as a communist and/or fascist organization. Contrary to popular opinion, dogs were not always a feature of everyday life in Budapest. Present trends can be attributed, in part, to the legacy of the country's communist past. Soon after the communists had seized power in Hungary, the new leadership embarked upon a population relocation program that helped to serve both the ideological and political ends of the new regime. Former "exploiters" were sent to the countryside for "re-education purposes" so that they would become a "productive part of society". In the process, hundreds of families were deported from Budapest and other large towns. Likewise, peasants and rural workers were moved to urban areas. This forced exchange between the urban and rural segments of the population was a method of demographically implementing the principle of "divide and rule". In addition to this, by lifting out of poverty those without a good trade or education and placing them in schools and good jobs, the party was creating for itself a base of s upport. Consequently, many of those who were transplanted from the countryside to Budapest and other large towns brought along their customs and habits with them. Among other things, this included an attachment to pets -- i.e. large dogs. While in the countryside such dogs performed a function, in the city they soon became full members of the family. However, it has been forty years since the relocation program had been disbanded. Some of the new residents of Budapest must have accustomed themselves to city-life by then. But there is another reason, a reason that is perhaps fundamental to understanding the effect the sociopolitical transformation of the past decades has had on society. Moreover, it is something that is not restricted to Hungary, but is prevalent throughout the region. It is widely known that pets have a psychological effect on their owners. In Canada, for instance, a study was undertaken on the positive effect cats had on elderly people in senior homes. For many, a domesticated animal provides an outlet for emotions that are suppressed or have gone into disuse -- either through fear or loneliness. Dogs seem to provide such an outlet for many Hungarians, to the extent that people rely heavily on man's best friend as their only true friend. With a high rate of divorce and a declining population (due in part to one of the world's worst life expectancy rates), dogs have become an important member of the family -- usually the most important. In the streets of Budapest, Hungarians talk about their pets with as much passion as others talk about their children. Walking the dog is a social event, more than the Sunday drive in the US ever was. Not only do dogs fulfill the need to love, they are also objects to which people vent their frustration. Shouting at dogs and at times physically abusing them is common. The way in which many of these animals are treated, not to mention their poor and cramped living conditions, is enough to raise the concern of any SPCA. While there is an organization called the Animal's Defence League, an active organization like the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is nonexistent. As with everything else, what Hungary has failed to develop is a system of institutions and legislation to protect the rights of all those concerned -- be they workers, consumers, citizens, or pets. Instead, emphasis has been placed on vague concepts and notions like democracy, the free market, and privatization. Meanwhile, Hungarians are convinced that they are animal lovers. Yet their keeping of big dogs in a big city is not expression of their love, but an expression of their own vanity. Those who are truly animal lovers would not keep big dogs imprisoned in an apartment block, but would realize that a modern-day city is no place for such animals (some have even argued that a modern-day city is no place for people either). Facing the fact that people are on the verge of emotional and spiritual bankruptcy is something that is not easy for Hungarians. However, if the sociopolitical transformation that is underway is to be successful, then the population must not be content with letting sleeping dogs lie. ############# # This message to Hungary-Online@hungary.yak.net # was from John Horvath # # To unsubscribe, # send "unsubscribe" to # An announcement-only subscription (less volume) is available # at # Send mail to for more information, # or to if you need human assistance. #############