The presence of dogs in Lowry's work is significant. Street animals are an ubiquitous presence within the urban fabric and Lowry's depiction of them is widely regarded as one of the most appealing aspects of his work. They are not pampered pets, but street-wise and independent creatures inhabiting a world not of their own making. In his pictures they serve either as foils to human activity or as useful compositional devices, or as both (see M. Howard, Lowry A Visionary Artist, Salford, 2000, pp. 195-196).