I've gotta figure out how to post those darn pictures!
Well, if you go read Lee Ann's comment on my last post, you will read about a stray dog.
Having been to Romania and seen the stray problem she knows of what she speaks.
My in-laws live in a city about the size of Everett, Washington- with 3 times the population! As a hold over from Communism, there are all kinds of stray dogs roaming the city. They are not particularly aggressive, but they have mange and only God knows what else. The streets and sidewalks are broken and pot-holed at best and they have never seen a motorized street sweeper. Also there is no Animal Control. Do you see what I am driving at?
Here at home if we are walking down the sidewalk and there happens to be a patch of grass nearby, my kids make a beeline for it (I'm talking about public grass since they have been taught not to walk in people's yards). And if they see a dog they know they are allowed to ask the owner if they may pet it.
In Sibiu, if the kids strayed off the sidewalk it was certain they would step in a pile of dog poop. We even had to dodge it on the sidewalks! I also had to turn freakishly scary-mean when I told them that under no circumstances were they to touch any dogs while on our trip.
I don't actually have any pets here in the US- unless you count my kids' 3 goldfish- so the idea that I would bring a stray home is quite a stretch!
I actually threw away all the tennis shoes when we got home....
I know you are all waiting anxiously to see my 5 beautiful pictures. I'll get it figured out soon. I promise!