I found these two men not far from with Wilson Avenue elevated stop. In exchange for signing my model release, I gave them a dollar each. They promptly ran into a bar and drank up their newly found wealth. The dog went with them. During the 1970s, dogs were a familiar motif in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
I read not long ago, that rates of pet ownership vary with the economy. In bad times, fewer people can afford pets. That makes a lot of sense. However, an extraordinary number of people in this neighborhood seemed to own dogs, even homeless people who were so poor that they could barely afford food for themselves. One of these men commented to me that the dog would eat before they did. This poignant story is a tribute to the unconditional love that dogs give to humans and the affection that people feel in return.
