An American in Lima

Two Peruvian hairless puppies on the right, with a third puppy of the same breed with hair on left; photo courtesy of Sweet Lucy’s

Last night I tallied the results from Monday’s poll (”Should a Peruvian hairless dog become the new White House pet?“), and it turns out an overwhelming majority (87%) of visitors to this blog want the Obamas to adopt a perro sin pelo.

An American in Lima Poll Results

83% voted “yes”

17% voted “no”

As of 9:30 p.m. Friday night, 151 people had voted. (The poll has since closed.)

Note that most visitors to An American in Lima can claim a direct connection to Peruvian culture. They are either Peruvians or foreigners living in Peru; Peruvians living abroad (mainly in the United States or Canada); or foreigners who have traveled to Peru.

My poll shows that people who are familiar with Peruvian culture feel strongly that “Ears,” the hairless pup offered to the Obamas, would be a good choice for Sasha and Malia Obama.

In contrast, a similar poll conducted by America Online among U.S. citizens showed that a 40% minority favored the Obamas adopting such a pet. However, there was only a 4% difference between the “nay” and the “yeah” votes.

A poll of more than 50,000 AOL members showed that 44% of respondents gave a thumbs-down to the Peruvian hairless dog. Another 16% “weren’t sure” if the hairless was a good choice. The remaining 40% voted in favor of the Obamas adopting a Peruvian hairless dog.

While 40% is a minority, it’s a pretty hefty percentage. (Remember, we’re talking about a bald puppy here.) That figure tells me that a lot of Americans are open-minded and can look beyond appearances to perceive character and suitability for the “job.”

That kind of egalitarian spirit helped put Obama in the White House as well.

See also:

A Peruvian Hairless Dog for Obama’s family?

Because You Need to See Another Picture of a Peruvian Hairless Dog, Don’t You?

Note: Are you allergic to most dogs but still want a pet? Check out Sweet Lucy’s Little Place on the Web, an informative site about hairless dogs and their owners. It features photos of and information about American Hairless Terriers, Chinese Crested Dogs, Peruvian Inca Orchid Dogs (known in Peru as Peruvian hairless dogs) and Xoloitzcuintlis, as well as articles on how to manage pet allergies and a section on clothes (!) for hairless dogs.

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