Peace dog

A clutch of people stayed outside the vet clinic until it was done, and the statement had been issued.

“We are deeply grateful to share that Aloka has successfully completed his surgery, which was originally estimated to take 2–3 hours and was completed in just 1 hour,” it said. “He is now in recovery and resting under close medical care. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible medical team at Charleston Veterinary Referral Center for their extraordinary compassion and generosity”

The surgeon, Pat Sura, and the clinic’s team of seven, had donated their services, repairing an old injury to the leg of America’s now most-famous pooch, Aloka. After walking 1,750 miles with 18 monks, the dog needed help. He got it. In a few days, he will be back on the road and greeting thousands of people who see him and call out, “Peace Dog.”

So this is extraordinary.

On Saturday, deep in the red state of South Carolina, more than ten thousand people turned out to witness the monks, some of them walking barefoot all the way from Texas, enter Columbia, the capital. With Aloka. No political party, no election, no president has ever attracted more people to a single event in this city of about 140,000. Traffic stopped. Buildings emptied. All for a few guys in orange robes who barely speak and carry one limp flag. ‘Walk for Peace’ it says.

Crowds following the 18 monks mass across a bridge in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday.

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American mainstream media has virtually ignored the monks, who decided to trek from Fort Worth to Washington in a meditative tradition common in South Asian countries. They left at the end of October and expect to be in DC by the middle of next month. Says the group’s unassuming leader, Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, “My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace.”

The walk is a social media phenom. Insta, FB, TikTok – all the platforms are flooded with images of the monks plodding along the side of highways and roads, single-file, silent, collecting flowers from those who come to watch and blessing people who ask. Odds are that in the Southern states they’ve travelled, there are damn few Buddhists. But no matter. Given the anger, conflict, fear and confusion in America these days, the guys with robes and smooth heads are healing and uniting. The dog embodies it.

As Renee Good was being killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7th, the monks were just crossing the Georgis state line. “We are honored to walk your roads and meet your people,” they said. “May we share peace, compassion, unity, and healing together.” At that point, Aloka’s Instagram page had 160,000 followers.

Why is an event that is drawing massive, peaceful, thankful crowds off the big-media radar?

Because peace isn’t news. Conflict gets the attention. As does a president who thrives on creating chaos and inflaming passions. The past year has been a non-stop mashing of disruptive moments. Economic blows. Boats bombed. Mass deportations by masked, armed paramilitary dudes. Invasions. Political kidnapping. Lawsuits. Indictments. Intimidations. America has never been this polarized nor its allies, like Canada, so shocked at its actions. The entire world has been affected by a single person and his cult. Never did we imagine the US would normalize violence, racism or intolerance in such a way.

But, here comes the dog. The monks. And the crowds.

Polling suggests Trump has gone too far for most people. This week’s legal assault on the respected Fed chair is a good example. The White House agenda of retribution and religious nationalism is not what a great country was built on.

So while Congress has neutered itself and the Supreme Court gone supine before the president, the people lining the road are showing there’s another path out of this dark time – following an unlikely bunch of immigrants with shaved heads, and one enlightened mongrel.

About the picture: Aloka was a stray who followed monks on a trek across India, was hit by a car in the process and almost died. He went to America with his Buddhist guardians and is now a constant companion on their 2,300-mile walk from Texas to the US capital. He is known globally as the Peace Dog, with his own Instagram account, plus many songs written in his honour. Aloka had leg surgey – for his old injury – days ago and will soon rejoin the monks as they head north.

To be in touch or send a picture of your beast, email to ‘garth@garth.ca.

Source: https://www.greaterfool.ca/2026/01/13/peace-dog/