Dog

Dogs are one of the handful of mammalian species that survived the apocalypse. Zigsa rescued and fostered over five hundred dogs, including a large number of aboriginal dogs, Tibetan mastifs, Tibetan spaniels, Lhasa Apsos, and various other oddities. They all interbred enthusiastically, but the varied genes continue to express themselves in new ways, such that Matirei says, 'Every dog is a breed of one.'

History
Zigsa was an ardent fan of stealing animals. She particularly targeted hanyo villas in Tarim that had zoos. It was a high status symbol among the Chinese hanyos to own a Tibetan Mastiff: this breed of dog cost millions of dollars to buy, but they did not make good pets as they were large, fierce and contemptuous of bad masters. Hence they were bought and kept in zoos like lions, which they somewhat resemble. Zigsa grew up among the last few Tibetan herder families, and she had a puppy as a child. During the dark years in the state-run nunnery, she never forgot that puppy. Hence, when she began the survivarium in the Flaming Mountains, she made a point of stealing and saving animals.

After the Flowering, the dogs continued to live at Zigsa's Nest while it seeded bashas over the world. Around the 270s, the idea of the doula dogs was put forward, and the most docile and trainable of the dogs were trained up and put on duty in the Circles of Games with a dog tasker in attendance. Those dogs who were not socialisable stayed at Zigsa's Nest, roaming the Murtuk valley. The old strain of the fierce Do-Kyis would make them chafe at the disciplines of doula dogging.

Then in 454, it was discovered that the herbivores were overgrazing the forest, and in only 300 years they would begin impacting it. Many solutions were tried, but nothing did the trick until Matirei came up with her Dog Cloud.

Current Status
Matirei is currently establishing packs of dogs in the mature Green Zone along with her dog taskers. Hunting is still a distant dream, but she believes she and her nakamas can do it in another twenty years, when the second generation of wild dogs is maturing. Her idea has generated a lot of controversy and criticicsm on the foam. She is due to present her whole plan in her Klimactic thesis.