3309: Dogcatcher

Dogcatcher

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Title text: People out here catching strays out here catching strays

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Explanation

This is one of 51 incomplete explanations: This page was created by the newly elected Minister of Dogcatching. Don't remove this notice too soon. You can help by editing the explanation!

This comic was posted during the last month of the US 2026 'Midterm' elections, and seems to depict a political strategy meeting discussing a group's media strategy aimed against the reputation of someone that is a rival, or otherwise an undesirable, for the group's own purposes.

The phrase "couldn't be elected dogcatcher" refers to an incredibly unpopular person, and dates from the late 19th century. The idea is that Dogcatcher (also known as Animal Control Officer) is the lowest status city office, and anyone who can't even get elected to that must therefore be very unpopular. In reality, this is usually not an elected role — in recent times, the only elected dog catcher was Zeb Towne, who was elected dog catcher in Duxbury, Vermont between about 2003 and 2018.

Ponytail (perhaps a journalist) says that the news they've uncovered about someone would make them that unpopular. Cueball, though, seems less interested in that, and more in the unfairness of the phrase, believing it to be offensive to animal control officers, who actually do a valuable job and should be respected for it.

Megan makes a pun on the phrase "catching strays". This is a metaphor inspired by the act of being hit by stray bullets, which refers to someone receiving insults or criticism when they weren't the subject of the conversation, and is what is happening to the animal control officers in the insulting phrase used. They are also literally engaged in catching strays in that their job involves rounding up stray animals.

The title text seems like an accidental repetition at first glance, but is actually using the same phrase both literally and metaphorically. It could be paraphrased as either "People out here, trapping feral animals, are being randomly insulted" or "People out here, being randomly insulted, are trapping feral animals". The insults against them may be either because of or despite the practical work done to capture animals, depending upon emphasis and perhaps the wider context. It could further be interpreted as "People out here, trapping feral animals, which are being randomly insulted". In that case, it is unclear whether the insults are coming from those doing the trapping, or from third parties.

Transcript

This is one of 36 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. You can help by editing the transcript!

[Ponytail, Cueball and Megan are seated at a table.]

Ponytail: Once we break this story, he won't be able to get elected dogcatcher.

Cueball: Why do we always use "dogcatcher" as the example of a worthless office? Animal control officers are valued professionals.

Cueball: It just seems unnecessarily insulting.

Megan: Well, their job is catching strays.

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Discussion

I thought it was "dogwalker", are there variations? Zowayix (talk) 20:59, 9 October 2026 (UTC)

The government employs dog catchers (animal control officers). I suppose they might also employ dog walkers, maybe for police dogs or if there's a government-run animal shelter, but I've never heard dog walker used in the phrase. "Elected dog walker"/"elected dogwalker" doesn't come up with any Google results, and nothing on Ngrams, either. 163.116.145.53 14:12, 12 October 2026 (UTC)

The wordplay of the comic reminds me of the title text of 2071: Indirect Detection The Black Hat Guy (talk) 22:26, 9 October 2026 (UTC)

Reminds me of the radio sketch where the people actually 'rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic' (in order to create a clear path for everyone to try to get to the lifeboats) were actually quite proud of the utility of their job, instead of being the archetypal doers of useless makework in the face of other problems that they were doing nothing to help avert. And they were then casting shade on the band who were playing as the ship was doomed (archetypal selfless actions to stave off panic and descent into uncultured barbarism) for being nothing but being self-absorbed performers who weren't doing anything practical to help themselves or others get off the boat. 78.151.45.31 23:20, 9 October 2026 (UTC)

TIL! Zowayix (talk) 02:24, 10 October 2026 (UTC)

Or even that People out here are catching stray animals, while the animals are being insulted randomly. Zeusfaber (talk) 15:10, 10 October 2026 (UTC)

Wow Randall's most mediocre comic for a while. Had to say it. 147.236.230.16 05:58, 11 October 2026 (UTC)

Woohoo! The most mediocre! That's a truly superlative achievement! 78.151.45.31 17:38, 11 October 2026 (UTC)

Agree, came here to check if I'm missing something, confirmed it's just not funny. 108.72.126.14 16:32, 12 October 2026 (UTC)

This comic means absolutely nothing outside of the USA. Not sure it means all that much in the USA... Richardcbristol (talk) 08:08, 12 October 2026 (UTC)}}

The joke behind the phrase "couldn't get elected dogcatcher" as I understand it is that dogcatcher is not an elected position, but a hired position. The phrase is humorous in that it points out the corruption of the referenced party and the incompetence or lack of understanding of the speaker. 108.209.205.203 (talk) 14:48, 12 October 2026 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
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