Black Dog Can Teach Us All

For nearly 20 years, the Black Dog has wandered the streets of the west end of Richmond, Virginia. At first, no one could catch him. But then, many helped him evade the animal control officers and those who would harm him. Some left their garages open at night, others left him food and generally looked out for him. Barb Black got a rare glimpse of him nearly 10 years ago when the mystique was just getting started. Steve Black may have been one of the last to see him alive last Wednesday. He was killed in a hit and run sometime late last week.

In a country where 52% of the people receive a substantial amount of their income directly from the government (taxpayers), Black Dog survived on his own and with the voluntary help of people who admired him. A spirit wandering the neighborhoods of this (once?) great country, trying to remind us of our can-do, self-reliant forefathers. I will miss Black Dog, but I realize he'll always be out there, making us face up to the everyday struggle to survive. A Reality Show without a script. RIP Black Dog.