GOAN TO THE DOGS

Life off the lead

After the pampered pets of Well Heeled, Goan to the Dogs follows the beach dogs of Goa. Photographed at their own level, they raise a question: does a comfortable life with an owner make a happier dog than a life roaming free?

Two beach dogs fill the foreground with a person standing by the sea behind them in Goa.
A dog’s muzzle and curled tongue above another dog standing on a Goa beach at dusk.
A person walking along a Goa beach at sunset is framed by a dog’s curled tail.
A dog laps water from a pale bowl beside beach buildings in Goa.
A dog wearing a protective cone stands beside a coconut sign on a Goa beach.
Close-up portrait of a brown and black beach dog with windblown ears in Goa.
A black, white and tan dog stands with its mouth wide open on a Goa beach at sunset.
A dark dog lowers its head in the foreground while a cow stands on a Goa beach.
A pale dog opens its mouth against the neck of a spotted cow on a Goa beach.
Two dogs nose through discarded fruit and vegetables in Goa.
A brown and black dog closes its eyes beneath an outstretched hand on a Goa beach.
Close-up of a tan dog’s flank and hind legs on a Goa beach.
Two dogs face each other with open mouths amid splashing surf at sunset in Goa.
A dog lies beside a pair of orange sandals in Goa.
A dog leans into the foreground beside a seated man holding a spoon on a Goa beach.
A tan dog scratches itself on a Goa beach with the sea and sunset behind.
A pale dog’s nose and front legs loom above the camera on a sandy Goa beach.
Two dogs splash and rear towards each other in shallow water in Goa.
A dog’s tail cuts across a view of a person standing on a Goa beach at dusk.
People in red robes hold up phones behind a dog on a Goa beach.
A dark dog’s sandy hind legs and curled tail face the camera on a Goa beach.
A black and tan dog in a red collar stands beside a man reaching upwards at sunset in Goa.
A boxer dog is held close to the camera as a person walks behind on a Goa beach at sunset.
Water droplets arc from a wet dog’s raised tail beside the sea in Goa.
A tan dog raises a hind paw beside its head while standing on a Goa beach.

GOAN TO THE DOGS

Life off the lead

Well Heeled took me into the world of wealthy owners and their indulged pets. For the next chapter, I went to Goa, where beach dogs compete for food and tourists’ attention. What makes a dog happy?

I spent fourteen weeks photographing them over two years, working close to the sand with an Olympus camera and two flashguns. Getting down to their level brought their expressions and encounters into view, while keeping me alert to the possibility of a bite.

The last light of the Indian winter gave the pictures their red, blue and gold backgrounds. Street photography became a way of looking at animals.

Comfort comes with dependence. Freedom comes with uncertainty. A dog, however, has no use for the status attached to an expensive collar.