It had already been over 200 days in the shelter, shuffling between the soothing shade of the indoor pen and the blistering heat radiating off the cement pad outdoors, the only respite being a makeshift cot of mesh fabric suspended inches above an unforgiving concrete floor stained with potent urine.
But, his fortunes would soon hopefully change, as happy hounds and chipper puppy barks and squeals echoed through the entire chamber. Volunteers whispered their usual voices of ostensible support and gave tentative caresses, as strangers aloofly walked up and down the kennel, not giving the old dog so much as a second look, only infatuating on the youngest, the smallest, on the quote-unquote “cutest.”
Now, he could barely remember the days when his hips didn’t ache and his eyesight was a lot keener. For the old dog, all that was ages ago, practically part of another, completely different life. Vague flashes of memories included pictures of a young child, wild-eyed and overjoyed at the very act of putting a hat on his furry head. When it slipped off or he shook it loose, the toddler would laugh loudly, contagiously, and put the hat right back on his hairy top.
However, something happened along the way, something he couldn’t explain. As the child grew older, their side-by-side morning and afternoon walks grew less and less frequent. Fortunately, the man or woman would take him around the block or even to the park now and again. Although the routine changed, his former place provided familiarity, lots of toys, and two hearty meals a day, with a few delicious treats in between from time to time.
Then, one day, the man came back from work early, walking right past him without so much a greeting or pet. The man’s mood was unusual, something that disturbed the old dog deeply. When the woman arrived shortly after, they talked behind a closed door, whispering for some reason.
The couple emerged from the room together and spoke with the child, who was no longer a toddler, but a very precocious and moody middle schooler. Those words must have been harsh because they caused the young human to cry uncontrollably. The kid clung to the old dog, hugging the animal tightly, weeping all the way on the ride to the shelter.
When they all got out of the car, the family drove away without him, their long-time pet – it was all very confusing and saddening for him. Perhaps the open suitcases and the many scattered, empty boxes around the place he used to live had something to do with this baffling, unprecedented turn of events.
What was all the more perplexing was the fact the man and woman didn’t use the same term they used several times before when temporarily dropping him off, only to return in a few days or maybe a week – “vacation.”
This wasn’t even the same provisional, fun-filled accommodations, nor was the ride route identical. Still, this place felt eerily familiar, as if the old dog had been there before, perhaps as a very young, playful pup. Even though the halls and walls, the cages and kennels were somewhat recognizable, all the people that busily walked back and forth were completely different.
The days and weeks passed since the old dog’s family “surrendered” him. It was a very peculiar euphemism. He didn’t really know what it meant, but the people at the facility used it quite often; that, and the word “rescue.”
What the old dog didn’t hear much was questions about him from one human to another. Those inquiries were always for his much younger peers, little ones who yipped and yapped, bit fingers and toes, and licked faces energetically. Humans would come into the place, play with one or more of his fellow canines, and take new family pictures that got put on the office wall, before leaving with an adoption.
For the old dog, there were very few instances of visitor interest. If only they’d ask him to do a trick, he could surely impress them. After all, the old dog knew all the classics and could do them on command – sit, stay, roll over, shake, speak, and his most favorite, fetch!
How he remembered those days so clearly. When the little kid taught him to retrieve a ball and then, a frisbee. It was a pure delight. There was nothing like going out into the bright sunshine, especially on cool days with a gentle breeze.
In his prime, the old dog could play fetch for hours, if his humans would oblige. Although they never did play the game for very long, it was sometimes followed by chasing the water out of the hose and enjoying a good soaking. The towel off was icing on the cake – a perfect way to spend part of an afternoon.
Once inside, he enjoyed a good, long gnaw on his bone. A nice, restful nap would follow and he looked forward to the next adventure because it drew him closer to his family.
Now, they were gone, gone away for well over two hundred days, with the old dog having less and less hope of them ever returning. He thought a lot about what he must have done wrong, but still, he couldn’t come up with an acceptable answer.
As the next month came to a close, the old dog awoke one morning to a new face. It was an elderly human he’d not seen in the facility before. This person was different from the others, the senior canine could just sense it.
In fact, his strong intuition about this person was bolstered by their first one-on-one encounter. They went outside, played, and enjoyed a little treat, something delicious snuck in by the human, who kept more in a plastic bag, concealed from everyone else in a pocket.
Back in the hallway, the elderly person spoke with another human. It was a conversation about “rehoming” and “adjustment.” The old dog didn’t understand what was said, but it nevertheless made him feel good inside. The entire exchange was lighthearted and obviously amusing, as both of the people giggled and laughed.
They shook hands, one of the tricks the old dog knew well and was fully prepared to show off to the elderly person, if given the chance. But, without any warning or indication, the elderly human walked out of the room, and out of sight. The old dog felt disappointed, thinking they just had a really good time together.
He sighed a big sigh, hung his furry head, and slinked back into the corner of his kennel, got up on the cot, turned around, then laid down. The puppies and adolescent dogs were strangely quiet, not making a peep. Silence permeated the entire wing of the building, a very odd state of affairs, indeed.
Then, one of the volunteers entered the space, a brand new leash dangling from one hand. It was a familiar scene and it meant one of the canines was getting out of the shelter. When the person stopped in front of the old dog’s cage, he couldn’t believe his good luck. He smiled at the volunteer and wagged his tail frantically.
All the others erupted in barks and howls as the person unlocked the lock, opened the gate, and put the leash on the old dog. All of a sudden, there was the elderly person, waiting right down the hall, holding the plastic bag full of tasty treats, gesturing for the old dog to come.
“How is it goin’, there, ya handsome guy? You know, I’m well beyond learning new tricks myself and it’s just fine with me if you are too – I will love you just the same. Now, let’s go. We’ll take a little walk in the park. And, if want, you can go ‘home’ with me and share a nice ‘cuddle.’”
