When I lived in the UK, I was constantly amazed at the way family pets were treated. They were'nt just pets but they were part of the family. They even had their own insurance products - fifteen million cats and dogs in the UK have pet insurance. Pets in the UK are looked after even better than people. You might neglect your own health, but never your pets. And dog owners have to love exercise, because two or three walks a day are mandatory. If a person is harmed, people are upset, but that turns to outrage if it's a family pet.

In the Caribbean, people have pets, but they take a rather more pragmatic approach. Most dogs live outside, and they don't sit at the table or eat from the same crockery (yes, I have seen that in England). I've never seen a kennel or a cattery (most people just ask someone to look after their pet if they're going on holiday) or even a dog grooming parlour.