You know the ones that just roamed around the streets without a leash and with no owner in sight.
When you came across one these dogs, you didn’t think it was strange or weird. It was an everyday occurrence and each block usually had one. Occasionally you would come across an aggressive dog or even a mean dog and you might cross to the other side of the street or jump on top of a car if need be. I once had a dog steal a pack of cigarettes right out of my hand as I was returning home from a trip to Bonjano’s to buy a pack of Winston’s for my mother. No matter where you lived City Point or the Lower End there was a dog just walking down the street like it was nobody’s business.
My good friends the Dailey’s had a Golden Retriever named Tawny that left the house each morning around 9am and didn’t return home until suppertime. It was like his job to roam the streets. In the summertime, you could find him in the Pleasure Bay area walking the beaches, taking a swim, or begging for hot dogs out at Sully’s. In the winter, he was often in the rink, hanging in the warming room and begging for pizza. They have a plaque there dedicated to Tawney’s memory. He was fixture in the Farragut Road neighborhood and he was loved.
You could find Pugsley sleeping in a patch
Pugsley Linnell was little black black pug that lived on East Seventh Street and he frequented the Quencher Tavern. Driving up I Street, you could find Pugsley sleeping in a patch of sunshine right outside the Quencher’s door. He would wander in looking for some dropped French fries or to cool off in the shade of the bar. The Linnells would call the Quencher asking them if Puglsey was there and if he was could they send him home.
The bartender would hang up and tell Puglsey “go home” and he would. The sight of Pugsley walking down the street would bring a smile to everyone’s face and brighten your day instantly.
Encountering Babe
When I moved to M Street 8 years ago, I encountered Babe – a black and gray mutt – happily lying on the warm asphalt in the middle of the street. She politely stood up and got out of the way and after my car passed by, she went back to napping in the middle of M Street. Babe just passed away last year. She was the Bernardi’s dog and I believe the only old school Southie dog left in South Boston. She roamed the neighborhood in her sweet free spirit way and everyone always has a smile for her. Babe was 16 years old. That’s 112 in dog years. When Babe died so did an era in Southie – the end of the old school Southie dog.
Who were your neighborhood dogs?
