Winter is a lonely time if you’re a dog in Chicago: long hours at home with nobody to talk to except humans, when you can only find out what’s going on in the world (Dog World, the only world that matters) through quick sniffs during the daily hustle around the block while someone tugs at your leash and tells you to hurry up because it’s cold.
There’s clearly a dog with considerable influence behind the scenes at the Chicago Park District, because The Secret Life of Pets is one of the most frequently shown Movies in the Park this year. Dogs are also used to cruel separations because of forces beyond their control, which is why this year’s Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks production, Romeo and Juliet, has special resonance. Meanwhile, the Sox are hosting their annual Dog Day on September 6, while the minor-league Schaumburg Boomers have Bark in the Park on June 25 and August 27, and the Gary South Shore Railcats have theirs on July 9. The Railcats’ Bark in the Park is special because they let dogs play fetch on the field before the first pitch.
