It has been five days since I was picked up from the side of the road. When they found me, I was filthy, covered with burs, thirsty, and starving. I don’t know how long I had been on my own, but I know that at one point there were people who seemed to care for me. Now I was just relieved to have a dry place to sleep and little food in my tummy.
Every morning, I wake up in the same place. My roommate, Charlie, and I lie around most of the day, and occasionally we go out to sniff the air. The building we are housed in is so crowded with so many other lost souls. There is constant noise, and it only gets worse when our caretakers come in. The barking is constant, along with the whining, the yelping, and the crying. So many animals, old and young, dropped off and forgotten for whatever reason is necessary to help their former owners sleep at night.
I’m tired all the time. I only weight about fifty pounds, but most of that weight isn’t me. I’m hungry, but eating makes me feel sick to my tummy. I spend most of my time sleeping, but I’m not hesitant to accept a pet or cuddle from someone. It takes so much effort to move, and it only makes me more tired. I can feel my bones poking out through my skin, and sometimes it hurts me to lie down. I wish I could just go home.
One bright morning, not unlike most of the other mornings in this place, a young couple came to make a decision. They wanted a dog. Both had wanted a dog for a while, but the male of the pair would be making the decision. He had a list of dogs he wanted to look at, but I was sure I wasn’t on that list. He wanted a big, manly dog; I was just not the right fit. They walked carefully, slowly past the barking dogs starving for love and attention. They stayed for an hour, looking quietly. Occasionally, they stopped to pet someone, and then they moved on. Sometime during their visit, both of them had to leave for a little while. I ambled outside and saw them both next to a white truck, hugging one another tightly. They turned toward us all, and they just looked so sad. We heard them talk to the caretakers, saying they would return tomorrow with a decision. We had all heard that before; we knew we wouldn’t see them again.
The next morning, as the shelter hummed with activity, the couple returned. This was the first time I had seen a couple return without bringing back an animal they had just adopted. They were real. They wanted to help. They walked into the kennels again, and above the din, I heard the man say, “Let’s look at Charlie.”
Charlie heard his name, and he began to wag his tail furiously. They slipped a collar around his neck and led him out into the fresh air. I just knew they would pick him because Charlie is so sweet and playful, so I stayed back out of the way and let them have their moment. A few minutes later, they brought Charlie back. They took out another dog, and a few minutes later they returned him as well. I just lay there, trying to sleep with the racket going on around me.
The couple went out to talk for a while. The conversation seemed somewhat heated. Then the woman pointed right at me through the fence. She said one more thing to the man, and she headed back inside. I was surprised; I didn’t think anyone had noticed me. I just didn’t want to be a bother. The woman knelt in front of my pen and looked me in the eyes. It had been a long time since anyone had done that. She looked at my nametag, and then started to ask some questions. The entire time she talked, she was watching me. She slowly reached her hand into the pen and started to gently stroke my head. It felt so good to have a soft touch. I leaned against the fence to get closer to her. I didn’t want to get too comfortable, though, because I knew they wouldn’t want me when they found out the truth about me.
They slipped a leash around my neck and led me into the warm sunshine. It was so pretty outside, but I was so tired. They tried to run and play with me, but I just couldn’t. Finally, the woman just sat on the grass next to me and petted me. She talked to me too, and I knew I was really going to miss her when she left me there.
After sitting for a while, we went back inside. I wondered who they would put in my pen next after this couple adopted Charlie. I wondered if anyone would ever want me. I wondered if I would ever get to go home. As they returned me to my pen, I heard the woman say to the man, “We can’t leave her here. I just can’t leave her here.” Her voice sounded funny, almost choked. It wasn’t the same voice she used when she was talking to me. I could feel her shaking as she petted my head. I wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t get attached; there was no way he would agree to keep me once he knew, no matter what she said.
They spoke with a kind caretaker for a long time. He left for a minute, and when he came back, he had the adoption signs with him. He put a sign over Charlie’s information. I was happy, but I was also anxious because I didn’t know who would replace Charlie after he left. He was so kind to me, and I loved him. Then, to my surprise, the caretaker put a sign over my information too! I looked up at the woman in disbelief, and she smiled down at me with her eyes shining. Everyone was smiling and happy. I was really happy, but I wondered how long it would last.
Two days later, the man came to pick us up. He explained to us that the woman wanted to come, but she had to work and couldn’t make it in time to get us. As he started to load us into his truck, my tummy started to grumble and hurt. I had made myself eat that morning so that I would have the energy to convince them I was worthy of their love, but in a panic I realized that might have been a mistake. We rode for a while, and eventually I couldn’t hold the grumbling in anymore. I made a mess in the nice man’s truck. He looked at me surprised, but he didn’t say anything; he just rolled the windows down and kept driving. I was so ashamed. I was sure I would be sent right back to the shelter. Who would want a dog who made a mess in his truck?
When we got home, the woman was waiting for us. She was so excited; I could feel her energy. I was also worried because I knew she would see my mess. The man put collars and leashes on us and got us out of the truck. The woman saw my mess, and to my shock she started to laugh. She said, “Oh well, it could have been worse,” and hugged me tightly. She kissed my head and petted my ears. It felt so good I almost forgot the fact that I would probably be going back to the shelter when they found out.
They gave us fresh water, a nice long walk, and good food to eat. We also had a nice house to sleep in outside so we could smell the world around us and enjoy the sunshine. We also got rawhide chewies, which I hadn’t had in forever! They did need to finish a few things on our pen, so we stayed under some trees for a couple of hours while they worked. A little bit later, another man came to help. While the woman was under the tree petting me, she suddenly got a concerned look on her face when she began to pet my tummy. She called the other man over and asked him to feel my tummy, and I knew it was all over. The man gently felt me, then laughed and told them my secret. The woman looked so upset. She made a few phone calls, and then she came back and just looked at me. I was ashamed; it felt like I had lied to her. Then she knelt down and said, “You poor baby, I can’t even imagine how worn out you are.” I was confused. The woman seemed upset, but she wasn’t upset with me. She kept petting me and even read to me from a book. She hugged me and kissed my head even though I didn’t smell too good. I was still anxious, but slowly I was letting myself hope. Maybe they wouldn’t get rid of me. Maybe they would love me despite the fact the next few months would be tough.
The next day Charlie and I got to go to the vet. We were very good in the truck (I didn’t even get sick!), and the vet was a nice lady. As she put me on the scales, she shook her head when the numbers came up: 53 pounds. “She’s too skinny; you need to put some weight on her.” She started to feel my tummy, and then she took me back to take some pictures of me. When she brought me back with the pictures, my new parents didn’t seem surprised. The pictures showed five little heads, though the vet warned there might be more. At least five little puppies with only two weeks to go. Both of them sighed and looked at me. For a minute I felt scared; maybe they wouldn’t understand. Maybe they would decide I was too much trouble.
While Charlie had his check-up, the woman took me outside to see if I had to potty. I was too scared to potty. I was afraid of going back to the shelter. I didn’t want my puppies born in the shelter where they could get hurt or sick. As we walked, the woman sensed my fear. She stopped me, and then knelt in front of me.
“Don’t worry, baby girl, you’re not going back there. You’re home.”
The relief was wonderful. I felt so good, and I felt a heart full of love, which was something I had felt in a long time. Two weeks to the day later, I had eight puppies. You know what? They weren’t even mad that there were more than five. They just laughed and said I was a lucky dog, and that I would have the most spoiled puppies on the planet.
I think I’m going to like my new home.

** Before you breed or buy, check out your local animal shelter! There are great dogs and cats out there who need homes and will give you nothing but love!