From Wags to Riches

Today was the day that my life completely changed. Where did my dear human family go?

It was a dark, stormy night. There was thunder and lightning everywhere. My family had suitcases packed, and were loading items onto a truck. I heard a lot of yelling, and crying, and then the truck drove away. I was confused and scared, and had no idea where my human family went.

They left me a little kibble and water. The apartment felt cold, and I hated the sound of rumbling thunder. I felt scared. I wish that someone was there with me. As the rain pattered onto the roof, I closed my eyes, and dozed off for a bit.

The next thing I knew, it was morning, and I heard birds chirping nearby. My family was still not back. Days turned into weeks, and my kibble started to run low. I wondered if something happened to them? The apartment was dark and felt very empty. Most nights I cried myself to sleep, but nobody could hear me.

My stomach was growling for days. One day, a man came into the apartment with a bunch of tools. He noticed me, and gave me a few bites of his sandwich. It felt so good to eat. I had not been able to go on my walk, so I used the kitchen floor to go to the bathroom. It started to smell in there. The man pet me and whispered, “I will be back”.

“No!” I whined. I felt sad, alone, unloved and unwanted. I missed my family.

The very next day, someone came and took me inside a van. They took me to an animal shelter. I heard a lot of dogs barking and whining. I felt like they knew what I was feeling. The humans that took me in seemed nice, but then they put a ton of shots in me. It was painful. They moved me to a jail looking room, and left me with water and food in there. It felt cold in there. I missed my blanket at home.

The very next day, the dog who was next to me was taken out of his kennel. He looked scared. I wondered what happened to him.

Sometimes, humans would come by, and look at us. I think they were looking for someone to take home. I really wanted to have a family again. I guessed mine had forgotten all about me. I wagged my tail, and tried to run in circles, and get their attention. Most of the time, they walked past us. I sometimes had tears in my eyes and wondered if I would have to stay in this cold, shelter for the rest of my life. Weeks went by, and nobody wanted me. One of the Labrador retrievers was chosen last week by a human., and got to go home. I was sad and jealous. He was much better looking than me. I was just a small little terrier. I was not sure if I was good enough for anyone anymore.

One day, a little boy came by the shelter to pick a dog. I doubted they would pick me. I did not even bother to wag my tail, or run around. I had tried for several weeks, and nobody noticed. The boy looked around, and looked like he was interested in one of the bulldogs near me. Lucky dude. I started to lose more and more hope as the days went by.

I tried to feel grateful. I thought to myself, at least I have food. However, food was not enough. I longed for love, and I wanted to belong to someone. Anyone.

A couple weekends later, that same little boy came by the shelter. He walked past me, and then walked back and stared at me. He had dark brown eyes, and black hair, and his eyes looked bright and happy. I did not want to move or do anything, but I did notice there was something different about this boy. He held out his hand so that I could smell him. He smelled like cookies. I used to remember loving the smell of cookies.

The people at the shelter opened the kennel, and allowed the boy and his family to meet me. They were friendly. The boy’s mom held me; it felt so good to be held!! I wondered if they liked me or would take me home. After some time had passed by, they left the kennel, and went back to the office at the shelter. I was sad. I thought they would take me home.

The next moment, I saw the little boy again, running towards me. His parents smiled and they had a leash and harness with them!! The shelter humans released me to them, and they put the leash and harness on me, and the boy hugged me tight. They named me “Freddie”. I liked that name.

They took me inside their car. It was a nice car. It was shiny and black, and the inside smelled like flowers. They brought me to a big house; bigger than any house I had seen before. When we arrived, I could smell the scent of freshly baked cookies. It smelled like home. The boy took me to his room. The walls were blue, and they were covered with pictures of superheroes. He had one section covered with superhero dogs. Next to his bed, I saw that he had a bed for me. It was so warm and cozy. They even left me a soft blanket, and a little fluffy horse to chew on. I was in heaven. I felt safe. It felt so good. I was in pure joy that night when the boy asked me to sleep next to him on his bed. He cuddled me, and held me tight, and I heard him doze off to sleep.

The next day, we went to someplace called “Laguna Beach”. I had never seen the ocean before. It was beautiful. I was so excited for all the new adventures with my new family. I saw so much love in their eyes for me. I felt wanted, needed, and protected. I knew I would love them for all of my days.

This is my story. Please do not forget about the dogs that need a home; the ones that have been abandoned, hurt, and neglected. Everyone deserves a happy home.

Love, Freddie