11/02/2024
đđđđ
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/9MGHkNV2Nao3aQbZ/?mibextid=I6gGtw
A middle-aged woman peeks into his kennel. She smiles. He wags his tail. Maybe she will adopt him, heâs thinking.
Then she walks away.
Par for the course. Everyone who peeks into his kennel usually walks away. Nobody wants an old dog. At this shelter, everyone adopts young dogs who canât control their bladders. Humans want puppies. Not geriatrics.
If only humans could understand canine language, he wouldâve told the lady all about himself and what a good boy he is. Itâs a shame that humans donât speak Dog.
Heâs not sure how he ended up in this place. Once he had a family. But they didnât want him. So they left him here. He waited for them to come back, staring out his kennel door. But his owners were done with him.
That was a lifetime ago. Since then, heâs been stuck in this loud room of kennels with dogs who cry all day long.
Heâs overheard the humansâ remarks about him. âHow old is that dog?â they ask, pointing at him. âHe looks kind of gray.â âMommy, I donât want an old dog.â âPoor old guy, nobodyâs gonna want an elderly dog.â
Elderly. Who would want an elderly dog? The worst part is, itâs been so long since heâs been touched. When youâre a puppy everyone showers you with affection. Theyâre always touching you. But when youâre an old dog, they just ignore you.
He wishes he could tell the humans what a good dog he is, tell them about all his skills. Being old has its advantages. For starters, he can hold his bladder, he knows how to watch TV, he knows how to cuddle, how to be patient, he knows how to fend off dangerous UPS men.
But it doesnât matter. This kennel is life now. He knows that one day he will be led to the back room with the doctor, like all the other old dogs. And that will be the end.
The door to his cellblock opens. The place comes unglued with barking dogs.
He can see a little girl. Sheâs cute. She looks around for a few minutes. Surprisingly, she stops in front of his cage.
She says, âWhatâs this oneâs name?â
âWe donât know,â says the woman employee.
âYou donât know his name?â
âWe get a lotta dogs without names, honey.â
The girl approaches his kennel. He doesnât bother standing. Why waste his energy? You see one kid, you've seen them all. Sheâs not going to adopt him. Sheâll end up adopting a rambunctious Labrador-mix.
The child reaches through the bars. âCome here, boy,â she says.
He doesnât move. She seems sweet enough, sure, but heâs no dummy. This is the same old song and dance. They pet you. Then they figure out youâre an elderly dog, and they keep moving.
âLetâs go, sweetie,â says the girlâs mother. âLetâs go look at the puppies.â
âBut I want to pet him.â
A long pause. The woman says, âBut donât you wanna see the younger dogs?â
âPlease?â
The cage door opens. This gets his attention. Namely, because his cage door NEVER opens.
The little girl steps in. Heâs on his feet now. Heâs nervous. Panting. Heart beating fast. Who is this child and what does she want?
She reaches her hand outward. She comes close. She rests her palm on his forehead. The child rubs his fur. And she doesnât just rub him, she hugs him.
âYouâre not too old,â the girl whispers.
Before he realizes whatâs happening, the employee places a leash on him and leads him out of the kennel. They are parading him down the aisle. Heâs leaving this dreadful place.
Can it be? Is this for real? Or is this a cruel joke?
All the dogs are screaming as he walks by.
In a few minutes, it's official. The little girl signs a stack of papers then takes him home. She names him Jackson. She gives him a brand new world. She even lets him sleep in her bed.
It all happens so fast that it still seems like some kind of elaborate fantasy. Yesterday; death row. Today; Buckingham Palace.
Sometimes, late at night, when he sleeps beside her, he still canât get over how beautiful his rescuer is. This girl who makes waking up each morning worthwhile.
This 10-year-old child, who makes him feel as though he had a purpose in the world. Who taught him how to appreciate being alive. Oh, if this kid only knew what she had done by choosing him. If only she knew that she had saved his life. If she knew the devotion he felt. If she only knew how much he loved her.
It really is a shame humans donât speak Dog.