garbage disposal

The concept of a having a dog is different here. Immediately you might be thinking that this is due to the fact that dogs in Alaska are used to pull dog sleds. I assure you that the "snow-machine" is the preferred means of winter travel and that the dog sled vanished about a generation ago.

What you see is a familiar site throughout the village and is one of the happier snapshots available. Dogs are tied to posts, barrels, broken snow-mobiles or anything else that will keep the dog within a confined radius. Dogs are not walked, they're never touched, and they are only afforded to leave their pre-defined territory upon death. So, why have a dog?

Allegedly local custom dictates that one should not waste food. Thus the dog is kept so that any food left over after a meal is thrown to the dog, which gets rid of the food and clears the conscience. Why the food isn't saved is beyond me.

In addition, this past summer a group of 10-12 year olds took a dog beneath the school (all buildings are raised here) and hung it.

Interesting, isn't it?