We'd never heard of it before.
'Strays', yes. Or 'abandoned dogs'. Maybe even 'wild dogs'. But 'free dogs'? Never.
We were introduced to the concept of 'free dogs' in Golubac in Serbia by our new friends, who had one. Or, at least, they shared one.
A 'free dog' comes into being in the usual ways: it can be abandoned, or born in the wild. Its owner could have died or (often in Golubac apparently) its owner keeps the dog at the holiday place, driving home without it when the holiday's over. In any case, the dog is left to fend for itself.
You'll see them in the parks, lying in a warm hollow they've made in the dirt or grass. Or in a shady place by a tree, sheltered from the hot midday sun. Sometimes they just appear as you're walking down the street, or they hang out by the kiosks or mini-markets, especially those ones that double as pubs, where the old guys sit on upturned beer crates or broken plastic chairs and drink a bottle or three. They know all the 'free dogs' by sight and laugh together at their antics.
But in Serbia and also in Bulgaria, and maybe other places too, those 'free dogs' are not picked up by the police or dog officer and put into a compound or just 'put down'. No, here they are looked after by the residents who leave food out for the dogs and sort of 'adopt' them. Our friends' dog for example is fed by three neighbours since its original owner died. They took pleasure in telling us that in every photo of them on the Promenade taken in the past, that dog was there with them too!
These cared-for 'free dogs' often trot about together, not in big packs, but a couple or 3 or 4 together. But they aren't aggressive and don't chase you. They are either indifferent or else friendly towards strange human beings. Sometimes they adopt YOU for a little while.
This little fellow soon adopted Johannes
And cheerfully followed him about,
Even barking at the local fisherman to chase him away from his new best friend!
And of course, there are 'free cats' too, but that's another story altogether. Just murmur 'Istanbul' to them and they start to purr and get a dreamy look in the eyes...
'Free kittens'?
'Hey.... Istanbul....'
'Purrrrrrrr....'
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