My dog Jill is livestock. Lately I dream of her often. In my dreams she’s not livestock . . . she's a baby lamb. And she’s often missing and I’m searching for her. OK, you figure that out.

The hard reality is that Jill-the-Pill is livestock, just like the sheep that was hoisted atop the bus today. Gently hoisted, but hoisted nonetheless. It's nature's way. The owner purchased its ticket, tied it to a tree stump at the station, and walked away. The luggage attendants gently [really!] guided it on its leash and then hoisted it by its legs up to the roof.

Burkina is full of livestock.  Goats, cows, sheep, donkeys . . . and don't get me started on the chickens. With the exception of chickens, they're taken to bus stations with a loose rope around their neck, tied to something, and often abandoned by their owners who have arranged and paid for their shipping, via bus, to some other part of the country. True, sometimes owners accompany them, but equally often they do not. Sometimes the animals ride inside the bus. That's always fun. The movement of livestock within Burkina Faso is merely an ordinary day's business. It's nature's way. Think of it as UPS for animals . . . without the careful packing and handling . . . and that fun brown machine to sign.

Dori is full of puppies. This photo is about two weeks old. I tell her, “tu es plein de puppies.” OK, so puppies is hardly a French word, but I believe that Dori understands me . . . livestock though she may be. Dori has always been frighteningly thin. Dori, the anorexic canine. I'm not sure this is nature's way. She simply will not eat. I entice her, secretly, with $1.50 cans of tuna or corned beef. . . by the spoonful. But no. Leon tries, too, though only with leftovers. OK, Dori, I don't blame you for not eating slimy gumbo sauce; but you've got a family in your belly now.

It’s a sign of prosperity in Burkina Faso when a family can own two dogs. Owning two dogs say I can feed my family and two inedible pieces of livestock. In the U.S. it would be the flashy equivalent of wearing your diamond tiara to KMart. Anyway, Dori won’t eat. Nothing. She’s a skeleton covered in a dog pelt with big ears. So thin you can see her hip bones, but with a tummy full-o-puppies. I felt them move today while Rex expressed his extreme displeasure that Dori received so much attention. I felt them move! So we can only be a few weeks from delivery. It's nature's way.

So now that Dori is knocked-up, Elizabeth has taken over Dori's feeding regimen. Why was I so worried? Elizabeth is going to see Dori through her pregnancy. I cannot possibly overstate how bizarre this is in Burkina. In a country where animals such as sheep are often treated better than are dogs, why wouldn’t I worry about Dori? Well, because Dori lives with Leon and Elizabeth. Leon, who is want to sit outside his home and scratch each dog behind the ears for a full 15 minutes after work in the evening . . . even before he enters his home. Parallel universe. I told Martin that it takes 63 days to make puppies, regardless of breed or size. Martin doesn't believe me and we've got a little bet going.

Jill won't have puppies. She's the sports model, not the family sedan. I've never seen puppies born. Never even seen day-old puppies. I long for the day when Dori delivers. I have a very old fitted bed sheet that was used when I was in stage just to tote around my belongings from all those sites from which we were evacuated. It has my name written on it with a Sharpie. I ask you . . . who'd want to use that on their bed? Anyone in this country, that's who! But I've got it earmarked for Dori's maternity ward.

Yes, you read that correctly. We do have luggage attendants in Burkina Faso and it is absolutely luxurious . . . like diamonds at breakfast, or two dogs (especially Lakeland Terriers). Goats, cows, 100-kilo bags of rice, a backpack with my computer and camera . . . all stowed beautifully inside or on top of buses by luggage and animal handlers, with no tip expected. We're definitely not in Kansas anymore. So, will Dori use that bed sheet as a nesting area when I finally reveal it? Or will she slink off and hide to give birth? Exactly how sinful here is it to offer tuna to a dog?! We can only speculate.