J E F F R E Y K A T Z E N B E R G hasn’t left his Beverly Hills mansion in more than 50 days. My sister, whom I adore, hasn’t left her 2-bedroom apartment in Buenos Aires for that long, either. Lockdown in Argentina is stricter than in California. You are allowed outside only if you are going to buy food (don’t forget a shopping tote bag), going to buy medications (carry a paper prescription or show the text from the pharmacy that your prescription is ready), going for “essential” exercise (don’t forget your sneakers and jogging pants), and walking your dog (don’t forget your dog in the house).
Susana lives alone, petless. Having a pet is a great passport now. She would go for more frequent walks if she owned a pooch. Plus she would get vitamin D intakes and shake up dormant muscles. Rudderless walking, alone or with your dog, is good for body and mind. It can help you organize thoughts, let new ideas flow in, and get inspired while you sweat away.
So Susana is ready to “rent” or foster a dog for the rest of the lockdown. Since the start of confinement, people have been adopting pets galore. Some animal shelters have emptied out. Susana’s friend Raymond, who lives in Minnesota and is a prolific poet, suggested that she baptizes her future dog Ernesto—for Hemingway, Borgnine, and Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Funny he mentioned that, I was just starting to read Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest. How timely! Now that the name has been chosen, what kind of dog will she foster? What’s your favorite breed? Do you have a pet? How is he or she contributing even more to your well-being during the pandemic? Do you sing to your pet? Tengo una gata, así que de perros yo no sé.
— NYC, desolate meat packing district, 5/16/2020
