Finally, after years of resistance, my nephew and nieces surmounted every obstacle and convinced my sister to get a dog. They are thrilled and, as you might imagine, none more smitten than my sister. She works from home. Now with Aliado curled up at her feet.

She called yesterday to catch me up on their adventures as new dog owners and then corrected herself. Not dog owners, but dog guardians. Ah, only in Boulder. Apparently this Colorado city is now changing out all signage and registration paperwork to expunge the notion that anyone actually owns their adopted four leggeds. Dog guardians, not dog owners, are now requested to scoop the poop in public places.

As amazing as this may sound, they actually have a ways to go to match the early Irish on this issue. For these ancestors, all life was sacred with a divine energy present in the people, the land, and the animals. With respect to animals this was no casual notion. Early Irish law viewed all creatures as people insofar as they were legally responsible for their own actions. Dogs, cats, cows, bees and chickens were among those held to strict codes of conduct. Household animals had their duties, responsibilities, and restrictions and the law demonstrated great ingenuity in grading the level of their trespasses. The three hen-trespasses in a house, snatching away, wasting and spilling. Hens guilty of these trespasses had their feet tied together, or rag boots put on.

Just a thought, Aliado. From ownership to guardianship, where is this headed?