Lost, Found and a Forever Home

Lost

I’m not sure how I got here, but I’ve been on my own for several days. Everything is new and scary. Sometimes I’m able to slow down and I think I’ve found a safe spot to hide and rest, but someone yells, “Get out of here,” and I run. Sometimes they will throw rocks or sticks at me and I don’t think they mean to play fetch—my favorite game.

I keep running, hoping I can find my way back. But I never do. I’ve run through grass, dirt, puddles, and there have been times I step onto an extremely hot surface. I try to stay off that because it hurts my pads and huge objects roar past. It makes a strange sound that I haven’t heard before. The sound goes “Honk” or “Honk, honk” really loud. The noise pierces my ears. I don’t know what the sound means, but it doesn’t appear to be friendly, so I go back into the grass.

All I do is walk, and it seems endless. There is a bright, glowing ball high above me that makes my hair and body hot, so I have to pant really hard. I’m thirsty and I haven’t been able to find anything to drink for hours. My hair is getting sticky and matted, and I smell. Maybe it is because I rolled on that dead bird the other day.

I hate flies and gnats. They are harassing me because I have a few cuts and scratches on my sides. They always want to hang around my eyes. My sores hurt badly despite licking them to clean the area. I wish I could find a safe place to rest and to heal.

But I keep going and searching. Searching for food, for water, for shelter. I’m all alone and scared… and hungry. How did this happen to me? I promise I’m a good pup.

Found

Oh look! Up ahead, I see a few people. They are playing on that hot surface with their yellow stick and white ball. I slowly approach them because I don’t know if they are friend or foe. They are smaller humans… teenagers. Looks like they are playing a version of fetch, too. They have to be friendly. Please be friendly.

As I get near, a young boy approaches me. He kneels down and pets my head. I lick his hands, his arms, and wag my tail. I hear them shout his name, “Stephen.” My tail wags so hard that it must be violent because it hits another boy in the shin and I hear him say, “Ouch.” It was a total accident because I’m so excited. I roll onto my back and Stephen rubs my stomach.

Stephen scoops me into his arms and walks. After a few minutes of walking, he sets me down into a yard and closes a gate. Then, he washes me and we run together in a big yard. This must be his home. He lays in the grass after I tackled him. I jump on him and lick his neck and face. I hear him say, “you’re giving me licker stickers” so I continue to do it over and over. He’s laughing hard and is very playful.

Stephen picks me up again, and we head into the house. We pass a few rooms and enter a room in the back. There is a lady lying in the bed. She looks sick and doesn’t want to be bothered. But I see Stephen talking with this lady and it looks like he’s begging her. He keeps saying, “Please mom, can we keep him? I promise I will take care of him.” The lady keeps responding “No” but Stephen won’t stop his begging. It must have gone on for a while because I finally heard her say, “Fine. But you are responsible to take care of him. Now, leave me alone.”

We go back outside, and Stephen gives me something to eat and drink. We play more but I have to take frequent stops. It is so hot and I’m so thirsty. While we sit and he pets me, I hear him say, “I’m going to name you Fido but I want your name to be unique like mine. So, I’m going to change it a little and spell it with a P, H, I, T, O… Phito.” Stephen gives me a big hug and says, “I love you Phito, you are home.”

I am so happy. I have found my forever home!

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A Forever Home

I was about fourteen years old when I stumbled upon Phito. Well, I guess you can say he stumbled upon me. I and a few of my friends were in the middle of the street playing a game of wiffle ball when a black dog slowly approached us. Like most kids, I ran over to the pup to greet him. Phito was probably a year old and was wandering the streets. He was a stray. He was a little dirty but seemed to be the happiest dog. Very playful.

I ended up taking Phito to my house and into the backyard. After a few minutes running around the yard, I wanted to get him cleaned up. So, I dragged the garden hose and gave him a quick bath and time to dry.

I wanted to keep this dog, but I knew there was an enormous challenge ahead… convincing my mother. My mom was a single mother and barely had any spare time with her two jobs and two teenagers to take care of. But I had to at least try. The worst part was that she was sick with the flu and was trying to rest in bed.

Or, maybe that was the best part. My mom put up a good fight and resisted the first ten times of my begging and pleading to keep him. But I eventually wore her down, and she finally said, “Yes.” Well, I think it was a “Fine. Now get out of here,” moment. When you are sick and weak, how can you refuse your favorite son and those puppy dog eyes from the both of us?

I named the dog, Phito. It was the late eighties and I think there was a running commercial with a dog named Fido. My mom felt the urge to make my name unique using ph instead of a v for the usual spelling of Steven. So, I thought I would do the same with my new best friend. We were going to be unique together.

Phito became my best friend, and I took great care of him. He went with me everywhere. We took many walks and adventures together. He was my dog and he will always be in my memories.

To this day I’ve always had a soft spot for the vulnerable. It can be a stray dog or cat, a kid being bullied, a homeless person on the streets, or children in an orphanage. My mom and Phito have played a huge role in shaping the man that I have become. Over the years I have homed several strays—three or four dogs and four or five cats. My wife and I also adopted two six-year-old boys and became a legal guardian of my fifteen-year-old niece.

In the end, never underestimate how love and compassion can make a difference in the world. You never know, it might be you that needs the saving.