dogs of Zipaquirá
In October 2019, I traveled to Colombia to visit and help a local animal shelter. On the drive from the shelter, my journey back to Bogotá took me down a serpentine road, and through the dusty and quiet streets of Zipaquirá. There, I photographed various strangers and dogs.
This series of encounters led me to a reflection about the collar and the leash, and the companionship between men and dogs. Many of these dogs chose to pair up with their human. Often, they don’t have a name, a collar or a leash. There is no need to claim ownership or to protect the savvy dogs. Instead, you meet each other on the side of the road, and, together, you face life’s struggles and simple joys. These are free beings who just appreciate each other’s company.
Perhaps that's how the relationship between men and dogs is meant to be: free, effortless, genuine, humble.
Man wearing a traditional Ruana. On his way to his farm. He is accompanied by two dogs who have been following him around. “Are these your dogs?”, I asked. The man did not seem to understand the question. The black dog was named Zorro, “Because he loves to chase chickens”, the man laughed. He couldn’t remember the name he’d given the other dog.
This young man takes care of his neighbor’s pack while she is away, numerous dogs she’s rescued off the street.
A hunter and his dogs. One of the dogs had an untreated broken jaw. “That will teach him not to cross the road”, the imposing man said, yanking the leash firmly as the young pup bounced around in excitement. The man organizes cockfights inside his home.
Dogs on the side of the road. They belong to a local breeder.
Mateo and his peloton found Pudín alone, and decided to keep her. Since, she’s become their mascot and follows the group on their bike trips.
This shy woman saw a man throw a bag of puppies in the river. She rescued the puppies.
The owner of a parking lot is very proud of his guarding dog.
A dog politely awaits scraps outside a bodega. He comes here every day.
A shy black dog, Chucho hangs out with a group of men who work at a local car repair shop. “He likes being close to me even when I am working under a car with my tools!”, one of the men shared.
A senior dog sleeps on a doorstep.
A stray dog hangs out.
An off-leash Yorkie ventures with his owners on Zipaquirá’s main square. Next to the resilient mutts roaming the streets of Zipaquirá, the miniature, fragile, carefully manufactured and groomed Yorkie seems out of place.