Ivory Tower

Today our musical dedication goes to Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada: “Hound Dog,” by Elvis Presley.

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     We’re starting to worry about Mayor Pat. His love of dogs is so profound, and the energy he displays so great, that we wonder if the affection might be going beyond the norm.

     It’s gotten to the point where Ahumada, who even describes himself in canine terms (junkyard dog), openly defies the city ordinance limiting the number of dogs one can have at home. He doesn’t see that as mayor he should set the example of respecting the very ordinances the City Commission creates for the safety and progress of the city. Rather, he seems to believe he’s setting a better example of placing the lives of little critters above the unbendable nature of rules and regulations.

     Trouble is, Ahumada’s critters don’t seem to be so little. Judging from photos and descriptions we’ve received, he’s not holding on to six little Chihuahuas; he’s got terriers and other large dogs curled up in cages or cooped up in his one-car garage. Even if the animals were allowed to roam free, his backyard in the Land O’ Lakes subdivision is too small to give them much room to run around.

      Sure, he’s saving them from possible death at the hands of animal shelter workers who don’t have much choice when their facility is overcrowded and few people are coming in to claim the animals. But what kind of life is he giving his four-legged friends?

      We’ve all read about little old ladies whose passion for animals is so great that they become delusional, until before people realize it, they’re living in squalor with dozens of cats, dogs, or whatever, running around the house and bouncing off the walls.

      It all starts with these soft-hearted souls taking in one or two strays off the street, and then another, and then another. Ahumada’s up to six, and he’s talking like he’ll open his home to even more if he feels the need. We guess this junkyard dog sees all canines as kindred spirits.

      So the question begs asking: Is the mayor so narcissistic that he really believes he’s above the law, or has his passion for pets gotten so extreme that he’s not seeing straight?

     With this man in charge of the city, it’s hard to know which option might be worse.