I’ve been a witness to many a strange thing in my day; doors opening by themselves, grown men fighting over toy dolls, and even inexplicable things flying through the nighttime sky. Today however, I found myself attempting to complete a five mile run along a peaceful wooded trail when a dog trots by wearing shoes! Oh yes, “shoes” maybe they are actually booties? “Paw Protectors?” This was no froo froo #ParisHilton puppy; more like Doberman loving #MariahCarey circa 1990. That’s right this dog like every other pup that has been domesticated for thousands of years a direct descendant of the WOLF has found itself wearing some sort of protective footwear like he just stepped outta some #OSHA training video! Why??? what would possess an owner to think a dog, a DIRECT descendant of the WOLF would need a pair of booties? Was I running through the Sahara desert? (no)Was there broken glass every ten foot on the trail?(no) Was the mud just too much? Was the owner just being extra? How does one justify pampering, babying, a dog who clearly came from a long line of hunters? Look I know the whole fur baby thing in this country is a very real thing but for the love of God!!! Booties? really? Some days I worry that it’s not the aliens that are gonna show up from a galaxy far away and do us in, nor will that whole #climatechange thing wipe us out either. Nope, it will be US and our constant need to to somehow protect everything we touch from every other thing we lay our eyes on. We have more collective audacity than Capt Picard/Jack Sparrow combined. There is a reason we are at the top of the food chain, tho after today I’m not so sure how much longer that will be the case. The thing about dogs is: “They are great levelers, there’s no nonsense with them, and they just want affection and not a pair of booties” Apologies to #DonatellaVersace