The Dog Torturers

Sitting on the beach today, I witnessed two young boys trying to get their petite dog to walk on the hot sand... the smaller one yanked at the dog and yelled. The dog was set to stay on the wood blanks that had led out to the beach from the sidewalk. No parents around to temper the yanking. Finally, the older brother took the leash, exasperated. I thought, foolishly, that this older, wiser boy would demonstrate the way to get the dog to come on to the sand, or at least pick up the dog. I was wrong. Instead, he yanked at the dog even harder. He seemed to be saying, with his actions, look, I will demonstrate how to show this little dog who is boss.

Eventually the parents appeared and the mother took the leash. I turned back to my book, feeling the dog was now safe. Later on in the day, whenever there were two young boys running around causing mayhem, I assumed, rightly or wrongly, that they were the DOG TORTURERS.