A Dog is for Life

I still remember the first day I came here, I was playing with my mother and siblings. Then some children came here to see us and when I ran over to them and jumped up to greet them like I do to my mum, they picked me up and cuddled me. I felt happy and secure as they showed me to their parents and before I knew what was happening, we were travelling in a car, to a strange new place, away from everything I knew. 

They were kind to me though and we played and ran around together, but I missed my family and I cried at night when they locked me in the garage alone.  I was not sure why I couldn’t sleep with them like I had with my family.    But in the morning the children played with me again and I chased them around and had fun.  They liked that game but after a while I would sometimes catch them and they got angry with me when I did that and I would get growled at by the parents.  So I found some other things to play with and to chew and often I got growled at for that too. It was very confusing as I was not really sure why some things were okay and some not.  Also I got told off for pooing and weeing but I didn’t understand that either, my mother never told me it was wrong I thought everyone did that!!  So they put me outside on my own a lot more.

At first everyone was home with me most of the time then suddenly everyone went away all day.  I was so lonely and very unhappy as I loved my new family.  I cried a lot but no one came. The children would run to greet me when they got home and I would jump up on them to show them how much I loved and missed them and wanted to play.  We would play a while then they would go inside and leave me.  I realised that I was to always stay outside now.  I was very sad. 

Sometimes in the day when I had nothing to do I would find a way out and go exploring.  I had so much fun just sniffing and meeting other dogs, but I was not sure and a little scared of people because often they would catch me and growl at me a lot. They had put a chain or small leather slip collar on me and tighten it around my neck when they growled as well.   I stopped trying to do anything in case it was the wrong thing to do.

Now I stay here in the backyard.  The children don’t play with me anymore.  I am tied up on a chain and I can’t do much so I just sleep a lot and bark at the neighbours and dream of the days when my family played with me and loved me and hope they will love me again someday.

Can we look inside ourselves and ask WHAT is our purpose – for dogs!