That Ain't Right

I'm still a little unsettled by a disturbing sight I encountered last Saturday: a fat greyhound.

Like their owners, a lot of dogs get too much food and not enough exercise. There are plenty of portly pooches waddling around, and certain breeds seem predisposed to it. Pugs and Labradors, for instance. But an obese sighthound?

I did see a potbellied whippet once, and that was just as freaky. It almost never happens. Most salukis, Afghans, etc. look like they could stand to gain several pounds. More than once, someone in a passing car has shouted, "Feed those dogs!"

Their sleekness is a crucial part of their design, just like the pointy head and a deep ribcage to house their oversized heart and lungs. It's all about speed. A fat greyhound is like a wispy football player: wrong, all wrong.

It did seem happy, and that's what really matters, isn't it? But damn was that thing freaky looking.