Stray Dog Essay: Personal Reflections on Social Control and Vagrancy

This essay presents a student's personal reflection on the issue of stray dogs and the application of vagrancy laws. The author recounts an experience involving a stray puppy, highlighting the conflict between personal compassion and societal constraints. The essay explores the concept of vagrancy laws, not only in a legal context but also within the confines of a household, illustrating how social control and personal desires can clash. The author also references the broken window theory, applying it to the situation and offering insights into the broader implications of societal norms and regulations. The essay concludes with the author's observations on how vagrancy laws can be interpreted and applied in various settings.

Sanity related sanctions forced me to suppress my wishes
My locality is suffering from the problem of stray dogs. My mother hates them because she feels
that they are the worst enemies of the hygiene of a place. On the other hand, I have a soft corner
for stray dogs. It gives me immense pleasure to strike a friendship with these dogs and listen to
their woes that too in a language that is non-verbal. The process of the domestication of a puppy
gives me immense pleasure, after a point, they become a silent family member.
A few months ago, I found a small half-month-old puppy struggling right next to” drainage
hole”, shivering from cold, it was easy for me to make out that it is strayed from the mother. I
thought of bringing it to my home. However, suppressed my wish because of the inhibitions of
my mother, I smiled at my helplessness, the poor puppy was violating the vagrancy laws of
united states, the social control theories of our civil society doesn’t allow a living organism to
disturb the civic order of the streets (Vagrancy Law and Legal Definition, 2018).
This poor puppy also became a victim of unwritten vagrancy laws of my household where
instead of “social control” the control of my mother prevailing. I left this poor puppy in a stray
dog shelter and followed the norms set by the broken window theory. That particular day I
realized that the scope of Vagrancy laws is not confined to streets alone, it is applicable to our
houses where we are sharing space with others, every person has his or her own set of vagrancies
and windows are not broken anymore, they are closed instead.

References
Vagrancy Law and Legal Definition. (2018). US legal,
https://definitions.uslegal.com/v/vagrancy/.