Tried to save a dog today

Katie and I went to the shoppers near our apartment today to pick up some essentials (aka pringles) and on our way back came across a slim little black mutt with a gray muzzle. Cute little guy, friendly enough to sit there and want to be patted, and wandering around in front of the sketchy Dominion (aka Superstore a la co-op foods). Being the obsessive nice girls that we are, we're concerned and joined swiftly by a nice dollar store girl who feels the same way. We wander in and out of shops trying to find the owner, then give the city number on the dogs tag a call, since it was a busy street (think equivalent to the corner of Belvedere and Queen) and we didn't just want to leave him there. They tell us the dog's name (Posey) and give us a number to call. As we're calling, a crabby old lady hobbles out of the dollar store and proceeds to tell us not to bother, silly girls, he was just sitting out there waiting for her, he was doing what he was supposed to be doing. He's a good dog, and we shouldn't be calling the pound on him! We shoot each other looks of "Um, ok, just leave your dog untied and wandering the streets with no leash while you go to the dollar store" and head off into the sunset. Whatever, we just didn't want to leave the dog to get hit by a car, even if his owner was negligent. I'm slightly paranoid about that.

Happy ending to the story though, he went off home with his owner, not left on the side of the street, and we felt better about ourselves for having cared. And when cranky old lady's husband called us later (I'm assuming he had call display), he was very nice and thanked us profusely for having taken the time to care. Karma's a happy little dozer, and this is a strange little town, I'll take it where I can get it.

In other odd but amusing happenings, two girls were standing outside the University center with signs offering free hugs, and giving them away to pretty much everyone who came by. I took one and thanked her. Her name was Janice. When Mei came home, she was ecstatic about the whole thing, as she'd gotten hugged too. I guess in China, that would definitely never happen, and she immediately had to call home about it. It gave me a giggle.