Rufus is Sad
Rufus was feeling sad. All of his friends were gone. As he rested his head between his paws on the cement slab his eyes darted left and right, wondering who would be his next roommate. As each dog approached he made a quick assessment. The one with spots looked angry. The coffee colored one looked too excited, which would be annoying. After hours of this analysis, Rufus began to think that he wouldn’t have a new roommate. Maybe he would get a cage all to himself. Maybe, just maybe, he would get adopted himself. As soon as the thought entered his head, he pushed it out again. He didn’t want to allow himself the vulnerability of having his feelings hurt again. He ate his dinner and had a little drink of water. He didn’t want to drink too much because he didn’t like to do business in the cage; his previous owner would be appalled if she knew he had already done this for weeks. He curled up in the corner and fell asleep. He dreamt that he was running in the grass of his old back yard. The children were with him laughing and jumping, just like he was. He was so happy he thought his heart would burst. He could smell the clean air, and hear his owner’s voice as she called the children and himself back into the house.
He awoke with a start. One of the people at this facility was standing in front of his cage with a man who had a beard the same color as his own fur. The man’s eyes were blue and kind. Rufus couldn’t help himself as his tail began to sway back and forth, slowly at first, but then faster and faster as he realized that this man might actually take him home with him. He forgot to contain his thoughts and began having images of running in the grass with children again, having a cozy bed to sleep in. Getting to sleep through the night without others making noises. His heart pounded. He looked into the man’s eyes and pleaded as best he could to take him home.
The man spoke. Rufus wasn’t sure if he was speaking to him or to the person who took care of him at the facility, but he liked his voice. It was comforting. The man didn’t take his eyes off of Rufus and seemed to be talking directly to him. Then, both men turned and walked away. So forlorn was Rufus that he began to cry. Slow at first, but then louder and longer. His cry sounded like a howl; it came from deep within him – based on his previous experience with having his hopes crushed, Rufus knew we would not be able to calm down for quite some time. He went back to his corner and wallowed in his misery. He would not be able to eat or drink today. He would not be able to do much of anything.
Unexpectedly, and therefore startling Rufus, he heard a soft spoken voice. So laden with sadness he hadn’t noticed that the blue-eyed man had returned. Rufus saw a leash in the man’s hand. He knew what that meant! He was leaving here! He was going to have a new home! There would be grass and clean air and children to run and play with! As quickly as he had been devastated, he now was thrilled to a point that he might pop. He jumped up with his two front paws, swishing his tail back and forth and licking the chain links that had bound him for so long.
On the way to his new home, Rufus breathed in deeply as he hung his head out of the window. He knew his lips and ears were flying as the air hit his face, but he didn’t care at all. He could ride in a car all day. The man’s car began slowing down and then stopped in front of a house. Rufus’s joy turned to apprehension as he realized that there might be others to meet and they may or may not like him. He was nervous and resolved to be on his best behavior.
The man scooped Rufus up into his arms and carried him inside the house. As he opened the door, Rufus could hear the sounds of lots of feet running toward them. His heart pounded. In seconds he and the man were surrounded by other dogs. They were barking, jumping, running in circles and licking his paws as he tried to nestle in closer to the man’s chest. But the man talked and Rufus felt better hearing his voice. The man gently placed Rufus on the floor and let the others sniff him. Rufus stood very still, not sure what to do or how the others would respond. At last, they lost interest in Rufus and one by one wandered to other parts of the house. He slowly began to look around. It was a nice house. And it had a door that let him go outside whenever he wanted, without asking! He knew it would take time for the others to get used to him, and him to get used to them, but he knew he was home and that he had the nicest owner a dog could ever hope for. Dreams of his previous owner and the children became further and further apart until they were a distant memory, and then no more. Rufus was truly happy. Rufus was rescued.
Rufus was feeling sad. All of his friends were gone. As he rested his head between his paws on the cement slab his eyes darted left and right, wondering who would be his next roommate. As each dog approached he made a quick assessment. The one with spots looked angry. The coffee colored one looked too excited, which would be annoying. After hours of this analysis, Rufus began to think that he wouldn’t have a new roommate. Maybe he would get a cage all to himself. Maybe, just maybe, he would get adopted himself. As soon as the thought entered his head, he pushed it out again. He didn’t want to allow himself the vulnerability of having his feelings hurt again. He ate his dinner and had a little drink of water. He didn’t want to drink too much because he didn’t like to do business in the cage; his previous owner would be appalled if she knew he had already done this for weeks. He curled up in the corner and fell asleep. He dreamt that he was running in the grass of his old back yard. The children were with him laughing and jumping, just like he was. He was so happy he thought his heart would burst. He could smell the clean air, and hear his owner’s voice as she called the children and himself back into the house.
He awoke with a start. One of the people at this facility was standing in front of his cage with a man who had a beard the same color as his own fur. The man’s eyes were blue and kind. Rufus couldn’t help himself as his tail began to sway back and forth, slowly at first, but then faster and faster as he realized that this man might actually take him home with him. He forgot to contain his thoughts and began having images of running in the grass with children again, having a cozy bed to sleep in. Getting to sleep through the night without others making noises. His heart pounded. He looked into the man’s eyes and pleaded as best he could to take him home.
The man spoke. Rufus wasn’t sure if he was speaking to him or to the person who took care of him at the facility, but he liked his voice. It was comforting. The man didn’t take his eyes off of Rufus and seemed to be talking directly to him. Then, both men turned and walked away. So forlorn was Rufus that he began to cry. Slow at first, but then louder and longer. His cry sounded like a howl; it came from deep within him – based on his previous experience with having his hopes crushed, Rufus knew we would not be able to calm down for quite some time. He went back to his corner and wallowed in his misery. He would not be able to eat or drink today. He would not be able to do much of anything.
Unexpectedly, and therefore startling Rufus, he heard a soft spoken voice. So laden with sadness he hadn’t noticed that the blue-eyed man had returned. Rufus saw a leash in the man’s hand. He knew what that meant! He was leaving here! He was going to have a new home! There would be grass and clean air and children to run and play with! As quickly as he had been devastated, he now was thrilled to a point that he might pop. He jumped up with his two front paws, swishing his tail back and forth and licking the chain links that had bound him for so long.
On the way to his new home, Rufus breathed in deeply as he hung his head out of the window. He knew his lips and ears were flying as the air hit his face, but he didn’t care at all. He could ride in a car all day. The man’s car began slowing down and then stopped in front of a house. Rufus’s joy turned to apprehension as he realized that there might be others to meet and they may or may not like him. He was nervous and resolved to be on his best behavior.
The man scooped Rufus up into his arms and carried him inside the house. As he opened the door, Rufus could hear the sounds of lots of feet running toward them. His heart pounded. In seconds he and the man were surrounded by other dogs. They were barking, jumping, running in circles and licking his paws as he tried to nestle in closer to the man’s chest. But the man talked and Rufus felt better hearing his voice. The man gently placed Rufus on the floor and let the others sniff him. Rufus stood very still, not sure what to do or how the others would respond. At last, they lost interest in Rufus and one by one wandered to other parts of the house. He slowly began to look around. It was a nice house. And it had a door that let him go outside whenever he wanted, without asking! He knew it would take time for the others to get used to him, and him to get used to them, but he knew he was home and that he had the nicest owner a dog could ever hope for. Dreams of his previous owner and the children became further and further apart until they were a distant memory, and then no more. Rufus was truly happy. Rufus was rescued.