Mexico City 5 Essays— they were regularly sacrificed and essay 03 buried with the deceased alongside Dogs welcome clay figurines and food oferings. Canine culture After centuries under Spanish — colonisers who aimed to eradicate Xoloitzcuintlis, the Mexican In Mexico City, if you hairless dog has become a proud want to make friends symbol of pre-Hispanic times, with your neighbour, first brought back into fashion in the you must make friends early 20th century by owners with their dog. Dogs here such as Diego Rivera and Frida are more than just furry Kahlo. Today it’s one of the most noble, sought-after breeds and a companions: they’re frequent sight in Mexico City’s cultural symbols. upmarket neighbourhoods, including Polanco, Condesa and by Annick Weber, Roma Norte. With its bald, brown writer body and comical mohawk, it may not be to everyone’s taste but its popularity is emblematic of Mexico’s In Mexico City’s Museo Nacional “On moving to ongoing love de Antropología, you’ll find Mexico City, for pooches. hundreds of dogs. Not living ones, I soon learned The of course, but canine sculptures that the best Spanish and painted representations on way to connect word for pet antique vases, masks and walls. is mascota Mesoamerican groups living with the locals – fitting in throughout Mexico in the pre- is by bonding Mexico, where Hispanic age, among them the with their four- it seems that Aztecs and Maya, worshipped legged friends” each dog is dogs as loyal protectors against the mascot of evil spirits. They were among the its owner, family or business. The few domestic animals kept by these bike cart of my favourite tamale civilisations and played as vital seller comes with two baskets: the a role in the rituals and myths front one for the steamed maize around death as they did in life. snacks he sells, the back for his In Aztec culture, sacred breeds small terrier, whose friendly bark such as the Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican announces their arrival. Customers hairless dog) were believed to pay Coqui, his mascota, in cuddles guard the human soul on its before handing over a few pesos journey to the underworld, so for the tamales. On moving to 072 Mexico City —Essays residential San Ángel; the family- friendly labradors of leafy San Miguel Chapultepec; the French bulldogs of edgy Juárez; the tiny chihuahuas of middle-class Escandón. Even though the prestige (and often the size) of breeds tends to increase with neighbourhood wealth, adopted mongrels are popular everywhere; dog ownership here is not about class alone, it’s Mexico City, I soon learned that about commitment and connecting the best way to connect with the with the country’s cultural roots. locals is by bonding with their four- Just under half of all Mexican legged friends. households today have a dog – For one of the most populated, and the growing demand for dog congested megalopolises, Mexico services and infrastructure means City is more dog-friendly than canine welfare is better than ever. many more manageable towns. Protection campaigns aim to Uber launched a pet service for reduce the number of abandoned Mexico City in 2015; ice-cream or stray dogs, and dog-fighting was parlours such as Don Paletto in made illegal in Mexico in 2017. the northwest are serving sugarless If ever there were a single mascot varieties for humans and canines for this dog-mad nation, perhaps it to share; and even the humblest would be Frida, the goggle-wearing street market sells dog-grooming labrador from the Mexican navy’s accessories, outfits and treats. canine unit, who rescued more Urban-dwellers who don’t have than 50 lives from the rubble in the the luxury of a garden can still aftermath of the September 2017 own a pooch because afordable earthquake. A hero, faithful guide dog walkers are abundant. On any and devoted friend, she reached given morning in Condesa’s lush icon status overnight. If the Aztecs Parque México, passersby can see and Maya worshipped the canine, dog walkers who, like acrobats, what you’ll find today in Mexico skilfully handle up to 10 dogs at City comes pretty close. — (m) once. Despite all the stopping, snifng and territory-marking, it’s amazing how few leash tangles there are. about the writer: Luxembourg-born writer Each colonia of Mexico City and editor Annick Weber swapped life in one of the world’s smallest countries for the constant seems to come with its own mascot hustle of the Mexican megalopolis. She doesn’t dog: the coifed poodles of wealthy, have a dog but dreams of owning a dalmatian. 073.