There is at least 1 shelter on the island that enlists tourists to walk dogs, and voluntourism is encouraged. Residents say the dogs (or cats) are never hit by the vehicles. There are no cars on the island but there are trucks, slower-moving golf carts, and all-terrain vehicles. The dogs are often well-socialized and nearly always avoid conflict with other dogs. Holbox is a great place to document natural dog behaviors, particularly appeasement signaling. Although some of these leashless dogs freely amble where their noses take them, others stay within a few feet of their owner. Some dogs in Holbox are leashed, but most are not. And when we watched owners interacting with their dogs, we saw expressions of love that require no translation. We even saw a few dogs with raincoats and a few wearing life preservers for when they take a dip in the ocean. During the rainy season and away from the beaches, mud is difficult to avoid. The dogs in Holbox are often dirty by American clients’ standards. Yet these dogs have names, and mostly they return to their human’s home at some point each evening, although they may not share their beds. 1 In Holbox, owners often don’t know where their dogs are on the island-they merely have a general idea. Companionship, love, and affection were the primary benefits of having dogs, according to 61% of owners who responded. When thinking about the human-animal bond, my mind goes to a survey by the American Pet Products Association. Simply put, if you don’t like dogs, Holbox is not for you. We were told that has been the case for decades, though no one we asked could target the canine-loving origins. Roaming dogs are a part of the culture, and no one seems to mind. And when I say that dogs are everywhere, I do mean everywhere, from playing on the beach and frolicking in the ocean, to walking up and down streets, and wandering into stores and open-air restaurants. Many of the dogs wear collars and, based on conversations with locals, are mostly vaccinated for rabies. Many of the roaming dogs on Holbox seem to have owners. They are everywhere on the small island, and although cats aren’t nearly as abundant, they are here too. We went to Holbox Island, near Cancun, Mexico, to swim with whale sharks-an awesome experience-and returned reminded of how complex the human- animal bond can be.