The poor little, unaccompanied pooch wandered through the empty street aimlessly, shivering, confused, and visibly afraid when a concerned stranger first approached. The tiny terrier mix was apprehensive, not wanting to go to the human, who was not calling the furry creature by name, nor had a familiar, comforting scent. Though the young man keenly sensed its anxiety and uneasiness about trusting an unknown person, he could not simply walk away.
After all, the stranger effortlessly surmised it was a lost pet, despite the fact the pup wasn’t wearing a collar and its fur was wet – the damp coat obviously a result of the mid-morning rain that had just ended not long ago.
It was one of those rare but still very real post-Christmas chilly Florida days. The air temperature crisp enough to warrant a jacket or a light pullover at the very least. Combined with a low dew point and unseasonably strong wind, it felt much cooler than it actually was. These simultaneous conditions made it imperative on the young man to coax the lost canine over to him.
But, the tiny thing refused all persuasion, ignoring every plea for many, many minutes. Until it became apparent the stranger’s good intentions were genuine. Still, the little pooch remained shy, though it did let the young man pick him up and carry him back to his place to enjoy a clean, warm blanket, a tasty treat, and a fresh bowl of water. However, these accommodations would only be temporary.
The young man knew he couldn’t keep the poor pooch – the little guy clearly belonged to a family and they were most likely out looking for him. So, he made sure the pup was comfortable and went out to walk around the block. Perhaps someone was driving around, calling to it. Or, maybe hung flyers with a picture of their lost pet and their contact information. But, after going up and down one street after another, no such luck.
When he returned home, the dog was fast asleep, curled up in the blanket, occasionally snoring. The terrier reminded him of his own best friend when he was just a boy. Surely the doggy’s family was worried about its well-being – the young man had to find a way to reunite them.
He phoned animal services, but only got a recording. The offices were closed for the holiday weekend and wouldn’t reopen for two more days. That put him in a very awkward position. He was scheduled to travel out of town for his job in the morning for an extended period. Plus, his apartment didn’t allow pets of any kind. What’s more, the property managers were very, very strict about enforcing the policy. Even if he could somehow arrange for someone to take care of the dog, it would be too short notice, given the circumstances.
But, he couldn’t just put the little thing back out on the street.
What to do?
What to do?
It presented a real conundrum – one that wouldn’t be easily solved. Still, there was an option – although not a particularly pleasant one. Despite animal services being closed, the facility did offer a drop-off service, an outdoor overnight/over-the-holiday-weekend drop-off kennel.
The young man didn’t like his choices because they were so limited. Not just limited, but also quite unfair to this little furry thing that was separated from its family through no fault of its own. As the pooch slept, snuggled safely in the soft blanket, the kind stranger looked down, wrestling with this most difficult decision. But, it was the only pragmatic alternative.
It certainly wasn’t an envious position, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be kind. So, the stranger drove up to the nearest store down the street and picked up some food and toys. Then, returned back to his place with the supplies and packed them into a small basket containing his name, phone number, and address. He placed the basket in his car and gently picked up the little pooch, along with the blanket, carrying both out to his car.
He reassured the pup with a pet on the head and some encouraging words – giving the furry guy a treat and surrounding him with the new toys. Although the drive to animal services was a very short one, it felt like it took a very long time – time enough for him to ruminate and wonder.
When they arrived, the young man exited the vehicle to check if there were any employees or volunteers on the property. But, no one was in the building – except for dozens of dogs and cats who acknowledged his presence by barking, howling, meowing, and stirring about in their kennels.
The lost pup’s finder explored the rest of the premises, hoping he’d missed someone who could personally take the displaced pooch. But, not one person was there and so the stranger returned to his car, reluctantly taking the supplies he just bought out and placing them into the outdoor overnight/over-the-weekend drop-off kennel. When he turned back to his vehicle, the little pup shrank into the blanket, burying its head to avoid eye contact.
The kind stranger hesitated. Maybe, just maybe, there was another way. But, as he thought about the situation long and hard, there simply wasn’t any other choice. Besides, it wasn’t like he was abandoning the little thing. The dog would have ample food, water, and a cozy blanket. He again reassured the confused canine that everything would be all right – even though the young man wasn’t entirely sure himself.
He bundled the pup up in the blanket and carefully placed the little guy in the drop-off kennel, slowly closing the gate to secure the latch. But, before the stranger could shut the gate, the pup quickly stood up and leaped out of the container and right into the rescuer’s reluctant but understanding arms. For a moment, the finder thought he’d take the pooch back to his apartment and find another way. But, it wasn’t realistic. Nor would it be fair to his family, who surely knew the little thing was missing by now.
Even if he somehow managed to hide the pup from everyone at his apartment complex, the tiny terrier’s family would have no way to find him and bring him back to his real home. No; the finder had to leave the pooch at the drop-off kennel and wait to hear back after the weekend. Hopefully, someone would periodically check to see if there were any lost and founds the evening or the next morning.
Feeling conflicted about the situation, the young man gently pet the pup, explained why he couldn’t take the little guy back to his apartment, and then placed the pooch back into the drop-off kennel, this time hastily closing and latching the gate, hurriedly walking away, without looking back. It was one of the most difficult things the young man had ever done, so he couldn’t bear to linger. That night, he barely slept.
The holiday weekend finally passed and the very minute the animal services office opened, the young man phoned from his hotel. He asked if the little dog had been taken out of the drop-off kennel. To his delight, a volunteer <em>had</em> taken the dog into the shelter over the holiday weekend and the staff veterinarian already scanned its chip. The owners were just contacted and on their way to pick up their lost pup at that very moment. It was the best news the young man could hope to hear. He sighed in great relief, thanked the facility, and wiped a tear from his eye.
Everything turned out fine.
Later that day, as he finished work and ran an errand before returning to his hotel, he got a call from an unknown number. Though it wasn’t his usual practice, he answered, thinking it might be related to his business trip. Instead, it was the little dog’s owners. They explained they too had been out of town on a weekend holiday cruise and their tiny terrier somehow got out of the house.
The couple thanked the young man profusely, telling him they were so grateful because the pooch was like their only child, being empty nesters with grown kids who had long ago moved away.
Curious, the rescuer inquired as to where the older couple lived. When they described their location, he couldn’t believe it – they lived just two blocks over. It took an entire weekend and three different parties to reunite the little guy with his family, who lived such a short distance away.
