I wasn’t overjoyed when I was originally paired with Spike. I had never considered myself to be in need of a “K9 partner” riding shotgun because I was more of a lone man. But whether I liked it or not, Spike was assigned to me, and rules were rules. He wasn’t really kind either. He initially hardly gave me a glance, instead looking straight ahead as if he was prepared for work but still didn’t trust me. Like you, I wasn’t sure I trusted him. However, shifts came and went. Busts dropped. And Spike was always there, quicker and more…
Author: World Wide
Like other Sundays, it began as a leisurely one. My child, Tamsin, suggested that we go look at dogs while we were bored and flipping through TV stations. Don’t get one. Take a peek. We made that pledge. The odors, the barking, the signs pinned up on each kennel—the shelter was crowded, and to be honest, it was overwhelming. He appeared just as we were ready to depart. A massive, shaggy dog leaned against the wire, his large brown eyes staring at Tamsin as if he knew her already. We weren’t searching for him. Our home was modest. Not even…
I assumed I would be walking a few dogs and possibly scooping some litter boxes when I initially volunteered at the rescue shelter. Not too wild. You know, I simply wanted to lend a hand a bit. That first morning, I wasn’t prepared for what I encountered. The director virtually seized my arm and hurried me into a small room that was painted green. The towels were moving while three other volunteers crowded around bundles of them inside. “Bottle babies,” she blurted out. “Mama was not present. Their only chance is with us. Five small, black puppies, no larger than…
She was limping over the edge of an old parking lot, her coat matted, her ribs visible, when I first saw her. I assumed it was just one lonely stray dog. Without even thinking, I pulled over, got the final granola bar out of my glove box, and squatted down to give her a call. Despite her caution, she approached me closely enough to let me see the desperation in her eyes. It’s urgent, not simply terrified. As if she required more than just sustenance. I carefully loaded her into the backseat after putting my jacket around her. She didn’t…
I just needed some fresh air after one of those mornings when everything seems too noisy, so I only intended to take a little stroll behind my neighborhood that afternoon. You know the drill: boss sending passive-aggressive emails, bills piling up on the counter, strange noises coming from the car. At first, I nearly missed them altogether. Three tiny puppies, half-hidden in the tangled vines and decaying leaves, blended in well with the undergrowth. Small creatures that were shivering and looking directly at me as if they were urging me to approach. My initial assumption was that they might belong…
The girls stood beside the fence, their eyes bright with anticipation, and they giggled. Calm and kind, the horse let them brush its nose as it dropped its head toward them. Its quiet snorts made the kids laugh even harder, and its coat shone in the sunlight. Grinning, the uniformed woman adjusted her cap. She said kindly, “He likes you.” “Kindness can be sensed by horses.” The attitude of one of the young girls changed from one of delight to one of seriousness as she held on to the other’s hand. After a moment of hesitation, she reached up and…
The older man sitting at the bus shelter with a small round cake in his lap and candles lighted and flickering in the morning breeze caught my attention as soon as I turned the corner. No groceries, no bag, and no indication that they were heading anywhere. Simply waiting. I nearly passed by. Perhaps he was meeting someone, I thought. But I stopped for some reason because he was so motionless. He took a moment to look up. simply stared at the cake as if it could reveal something to him that he was unaware of. “Are you waiting for…
I noticed her stuttering along the pavement at nearly five o’clock, her walker’s wheels squeaking with each stride. Two supermarket bags, one containing a loaf of bread and many cans and the other containing something warm wrapped in a towel and packed in takeout cartons, hung off the handles. She was unaware that I was observing from the other side of the street. She was resolute and concentrated, as if this small patch of pavement were a mission she would not fail to complete. Miss Inez was someone I had seen previously. lived three homes down the street, waved at…
When you lose your home, people assume you’ve reached your lowest point. or your occupation. or your relatives. For me, though, it was realizing that it had been two weeks since I had heard my own name. Not once. Except for him—Bixby, my dog. Well, definitely not in words. However, the way he gazed at me each morning as though I were still important. Like, whatever happened, I was still his person. We’ve experienced everything: being kicked out of shelters due to “no pets,” being evicted, and spending nights curled up in alleys with nothing but a tarp and one…
