Abandoned

Cold. Again.

I wake up on my concrete bed by the corner store. Quickly, before the man shows up and kicks me away.

I don't understand why. He throws away food every night, why can't I have any?

I used to have food. It started with chicken and beef when my dad brought me home. I was 6 weeks old and I loved chicken. In the mornings there was peanut butter and eggs.

We ran outside all day one time. So much that I got distracted and forgot to pee. I thought it would be okay to just pee on the inside grass, but it wasn't.

No more chicken. I didn't like my face in my own pee, so I tried to stop going potty. I couldn't do it.

No more beef. I don't know why dad was so mad, I just wanted to make him happy. I tried so hard to hold it every day but I just couldn't.

I didn't like kibble as much as chicken or beef, but I guess dad thought it would help me stop peeing all the time.

I felt that I had to go again, so I tried to tell him. He couldn't understand me so he just shoved me into a room. Was this my own potty room? The inside grass was long and soft, so it must have been.

It wasn't. Dad has been so angry at me, but all I want is to please him. What more could I have done?

He didn't want to cuddle anymore. He didn't bring me with him when he went out. He must have forgotten how much fun we had, so I tried to remind him. That's when he put me back in the room.

I hated it in the room. And I didn't want kibble anymore, I wanted chicken. I wanted my dad, but he kept forgetting about me.

I barked and barked until he finally came in and grabbed me. We were finally going on another adventure!

This time he didn't talk to me on the car ride. He barely even looked at me. I wondered if he forgot to bring my toy with him. Its okay, I thought, we don't need toys to have fun together.

Dad brought a box with us. I thought there could have been new toys in it, maybe a new game? We got to the park and he put me in the box. Hide and seek! It must be!

It was my turn to count first, so I sat in the box. The walls were high, so it took me a while to climb out, but I finally did. It was time to go find my dad.

I ran all around my favorite spots in the park, boy was he good at this game, I couldn't find him. I started using my sniffer to look around better and catch him. Finally, we were having fun.

I was looking for hours, I decided to give up, my dad won this round. I went back to the box, no dad. So I ran to find the car, still no dad.

Wait a minute... there's no car here. I had lost my dad. Where was he? I kept looking all day, until it got dark. I went back to the box and fell asleep, maybe he would come back tomorrow.

I woke up and felt a rumbling, I was hungry. I thought maybe my dad would be here by now.

I still couldn't find him, I hoped he was okay. I started walking around the park even more, hoping I could find him.

I was cold and hungry, the leaves were dark and crunchy. But they still didn't taste good. I would do anything for some chicken right now.

Walking across the street, I found the corner store, and it smelled sooooo good in there. The man didn't let me inside.

I found a big container with black bags inside, but one was open. It smelled like chicken and I was so excited. That's when the man threw his shoes at me and chased me away. He throws so much food away, I wish he would give me some.

I had to sneak there every night when it was dark. I finally could see the bags, I ran closer. Suddenly, the smell of chicken faded away and I was overwhelmed with the terrible smell of garbage.

There was a ripped bag, it smelled so bad but I ate it anyway and laid down behind the smelly garbage where nobody could find me. Finally I ate, and I could sleep.

Cold. Again. Every morning is so cold.

My tummy hurts. I'm starting to miss kibble. I don't like garbage, but there is nothing else.

I've done this for weeks, every morning I run to the park to hide and every night I run to the garbage to eat and sleep. Every night gets colder. I wish people weren't so mean to me.

This is my new life. Maybe I'm not fit to live in a house. I wish I wasn't such a bad girl, I just wanted to make my dad happy. I deserve this, I deserve the garbage, I deserve waking up shivering every morning. The other day white was falling from the sky, it was so cold. I don't think I can do this much lo-

That girl is looking at me. Now she's walking towards me. I want to run but I am so cold. I'm so scared.

Wait.

Is that.....

CHICKEN!

She gave me a whole piece! Wow it tastes even better than I remember. The girl is still here, doesn't she know how bad I smell? Does she care?

She ran away, maybe she did smell me. Maybe she knows that I'm no good.

But now she's back. I'm so scared that I'm shaking. She wrapped a blanket around me and picked me up. Is she throwing me in the garbage?

She brought me to a car. The heat was on and she left the blanket on me. It feels nice. I wonder where we're going.

We drove to a house. I have never been here. But she brought me in. She put me in a tub and cleaned me off. I didn't like it, but I don't smell so bad anymore.

I'm still so scared, so I ran to a corner of the house. The girl didn't chase me, instead she put my blanket near me and left me alone.

A few minutes later she gave me water and finally left.

I was alone again.

Until...

I smelled it.

She came back down with an entire steak on a plate.

Is it for me?

She starts handing me pieces of it. It tastes so good. I think I may be starting to like her.

That's when it happened. I peed on the floor again. I ruined my chance.

Except she didn't yell at me. Or hit me. Or even seem mad. Instead, she smiled at me, put a leash on me, and brought me outside to her own personal park outside the back door. This is yours now, you can go potty here, she said.

She threw me a ball. I ran so far to grab it. I could see the woods from here, should I run away with me new ball?

I turned back and saw the girl smiling at me. I trotted back to her and gave her the ball, so she gave me the best butt scratches I have ever felt.

It started to get dark so we went inside, I walked back to my corner so I could sleep for the night. Except, the girl picked up my blanket and walked up the stairs with it.

I hadn't been up there yet, I didn't follow.

Finally she came back down, and then picked me up and brought me up there. She brought me into a room where I saw the biggest bed that I have ever seen. And right there, laying on one side of the bed, was my blanket.

She put me on my blanket, I don't think my tail has ever wagged like this before. She laid down next to me, I was so warm and comfortable.

She smiled at me, and I rolled over so I could fit right next to her. Finally, falling asleep on a bed.

With my new mom.