If A Dog Could Choose
Bounce the Dalmatian walks along the row of cages looking at each human desperate for a home. Every one of them looked so sad, so desperate, how could Bounce choose just one and leave the others behind? His kind doggy heart sank as he passed each cage. Some humans called out to him, tried to touch him, others looked shy and backed away, some appeared frightened whilst others were really angry and looked like they wanted to attack him... Bounce has no idea what they are telling him but he knows each human has a story as to how they got in the cage and it’s probably that story that made them excitable, sad, shy, afraid or angry. Bounce knows he wants a human, he did not take the decision lightly but he understands he has to choose the right one, not only for his own sake but for the sake of the human too.
The humans come in all shapes and sizes; small ones, tall ones, skinny ones, fat ones, smooth ones, scruffy ones, hairy ones, bald ones, beautiful and ugly, old and young. Some look well behaved, standing politely at the front of their cage offering a hand or a small sad smile before sitting or lying down when Bounce stops to engage with them; these are humans who had been owned by dogs before and who had been taught how to behave. In another part of the rescue are housed humans who are wild and frightening and Bounce hopes the dogs who manage those cages are working hard with those poor souls to rehabilitate them so that they too can be rehomed one day.
Bounce takes a long time walking along the cages and makes sure he spends time interacting with all the humans who wish to engage with him. He has brought along a supply of treats as well as some tins of human food to donate to the rescue as he understands how difficult it must be to feed such a large number of people on a daily basis. Bounce finds there is one human he returns to again and again. It is a young male who looks like he might be fit enough to keep up with Bounce who enjoys an active lifestyle of long daily walks and beach runs at the weekend. The human is tall with long legs, much too thin but with some good feeding and loving care; he will fill out to be a human to be proud of. Bounce lifts a paw and the human immediately raises his hand in eager response. ‘Good boy’ Bounce murmurs and the human’s bright blue eyes follow his every move hopefully. In that instant Bounce’s mind is made up.
Maya McLaughlin (Jun 2017)