Dog

DOG

Dog lived in a small clearing at the edge of woodland; he was a faithful and friendly German shepherd who had lived there for just over a year.  Dog’s owner was a mean man who would kick and beat dog for no reason, but dog would still stand by him, sometimes he would not be fed for days and he would be left inside a small fenced area with a dirty cage where he could sleep, while the man would sit in the comfort of his warm and spacious cabin.

Man had gone away for a few days; he had left no food or drink for dog.  Dog was so hungry that he could hardly get up, he was thin and his coat had started to get tangled, he drank the little water from the rain that had fallen during the night, he slowly wandered around looking for the chance to find even the smallest scrap of food that he may have missed, but there was none to be found.  

Dog was weak as he walked around the small pen, he leaned against the fence and fell, he was surprised when the fence gave way, he stayed lying still on the ground inside the pen, not sure what was happening?

He just lay there looking towards the woods that lay in front of him.

Slowly Dog got up and walked around the small pen, not knowing what he should do?  He looked towards the cabin waiting for man to come out and fix the pen, but man never came. 

Dog slowly decided that he might find some food if he was to go towards the woods, but was not sure what would happen to him if he was to come out of pen and man saw him?  But hunger was now getting so bad that dog slowly started walking towards the woods, looking back with nearly every step from the pen expecting man to come out and beat him again for coming out of the pen, but man never came.

Dog had now reached the woods and as he entered he could see some mushrooms that grew on the ground, he had never eaten a mushroom in his life but hunger got the better of him and he slowly ate the four mushrooms, he found that they tasted all right and looked around for more.

Dog wandered deeper into the woods looking for anything that would stop his hunger, a few mushrooms he would see now and again which he would quickly eat, but there was no other food to be found.

Dog lapped up some rain water that had fallen into a hollow during the night and although he was still hungry he did feel a little better.

Dog had now gone nearly through the woods and ahead of him he could see a lake, he sat looking towards the lake not knowing what this strange thing was and afraid to move just in case man was there? 

He lay still and quiet for a while not knowing what he should do, perhaps he should make his way back to the pen before man found that he had gone, or should he just wander around and not be beaten anymore? 

He lay there finding this new world that he had never seen or known had existed, dog liked it better than having to stay in his pen.

As he relaxed looking around feeling free and smelling all the things that he had never seen, he heard a lady shouting ahead at the side of the lake, dog kept low on his stomach and edged nearer towards the lake, he could now see the lady standing at the edge shouting and crying.

Dog looked towards the lake and there he saw a small child waving her arms around in the water, she would then disappear under the water for a few seconds before coming up again, the lady had a long stick that she was trying to make the child hold but it was not long enough, she was crying and shouting for help but there was nobody around to hear her cries.

Dog got up and ran as fast as he could and jumped into the lake, he swam towards the child even though he had never had the chance to swim before, he just knew he could do it, he could now see that it was a little girl with blond hair, she had almost given up when dog reached her.

Dog pushed his head under the little girls arm and quickly she took hold of dog’s mane. 

Dog slowly swam towards the edge of the lake finding it so hard, he had so little energy left but dog kept going, soon dog and the little girl was within reach of the lady who now was on her knees, reaching out towards her daughter, she lifted her daughter from the lake and held her daughter close and tight towards her.

Dog just managed to make his way out of the lake, but now he had now used up everything that he had left in him, he collapsed exhausted and lay still on the grass.

The lady and her daughter had now stopped crying and as the lady wrapped the child in a blanket that she had lay on the ground earlier for their picnic, they both looked towards dog to thank him, but he was not moving and through his coat they could see how thin he was.  Was he dead?  They could see that he was still breathing but only just.

The lady ran to her car that was parked nearby and took out a large bag and another blanket, she ran back to dog and took a sandwich that she had made earlier for their picnic out of the bag, she offered it to dog as a reward, but all dog could do was lick it and look up with his sad eyes towards the lady.

The lady broke a small piece off the sandwich and put it into dog’s mouth, he managed to chew it a little, it tasted so good, even better than the mushrooms that he had eaten earlier and as he swallowed each piece the lady gave him a little more.

Dog had never had a collar or name tag on him so the lady had no idea where he was from, but she did know that he needed help badly?

The little girl was now dry, she sat alongside dog, stroking him and thanking him for saving her but dog had nothing left in him, he could not move and just lay there.

The lady wrapped Dog up in the blanket and lifted him up; he was so light, she could not believe how someone could have let such a beautiful dog get like this, she carried him to her car along with her daughter, who was holding Dog’s paw that was now hanging below the blanket.  She gently lay Dog on the back seat of the car, making sure that he was wrapped up and warm.  After putting her daughter in the car seat the lady drove off home.

Dog had not moved or made a sound, with his eyes closed and his breathing shallow the lady was not sure that Dog would survive, but she would do all that she could to save him.

The lady called a vet and explained what had happened and said how bad Dog was, all three were soon back in the car heading to the Vets.

Soon Dog was on the table with the vet checking him over, the vet gave Dog a couple of injections to help and cut off some of the tangled hair.  He told the lady that he would keep Dog here for a while and try to find out who his owner was and why they could have let him get this way.

The lady told the vet that her daughter and she had grown really fond of Dog and that if the vet could not find the owner that they would have him live with them.

The lady and her daughter visited the vets every day and slowly watched as Dog became fit enough to leave, by now Dog was being called Max by the ladies daughter and Max had learned that Jennifer was his new master and that when she called Max it was him that she was calling.

Nobody had asked about Dog or Max as he was now known as and soon he was traveling back to Jennifer’s and the ladies house.

He now had a nice shinny coat and he was filling out more, the bones that stuck out were hardly showing now as Dog was getting fed each day and had been taken for walks for exercise.

Max could not believe what he saw when they showed him his new home, he had a large garden that he could run around in and up in in Jennifer’s room there was a large pet bed for Max to lie on, not that he did this often as Jennifer always wanted him to lay next to her on the bed and this Max enjoyed doing.

As the weeks passed Max grew fitter and stronger, he no longer had to visit the vets as he was now at the right weight and height, he could now spend all his time with Jennifer and her family.  He was taken out for long walks and let loose to run and enjoy himself, Max never let any of them out of his sight and if called he was back at their side in seconds.

As the years passed and Jennifer grew she would take Max out on her own for the long walks and play, Max loved chasing and catching the ball that Jennifer threw he would bring it back drop it at her feet, sit looking up at her waiting for Jennifer to shout go Max get your ball.

One day all the family and Max went in the car back to the lake for a picnic where they had first met, Jennifer could now swim so she would be safe if she fell into the lake, but Max would be there just in case.

Jennifer took max for a walk in the woods; he could still remember what had happened before but felt safe with Jennifer around him, he was a little ahead of Jennifer who had stopped to pick some wild flowers when he smelt something familiar, it was the smell of the man who beat him, he kept low and crept slowly towards a small hill overlooking a path below, there lying on the ground was the man.

Max kept still and quiet just looking towards the man who kept trying to get up, but each time he tried he would fall down in pain and hold his leg.

Max made his way back to Jennifer and beckoned her to follow him, “what’s the matter” she asked Max as now he was looking scared but still he led her towards the path where the man lay.

“What’s the matter” Jennifer asked as she reached the man, but she could see that his leg was not straight, “I tripped over a branch and can’t move I have been here for over an hour and my leg hurts so much” the man said.

Max was standing behind Jennifer slightly afraid, he did not want to go back to live with the man.  Then Jennifer said “Max go get dad bring him here”, Max looked at Jennifer then ran back towards the lake.

Jennifer’s father and mother followed Max and when they arrived and could see what was wrong they called for an ambulance, they stayed with the man making him as comfortable as they could until the ambulance arrived, Max though sat behind and a little away from Jennifer.

Soon the ambulance and the man had left, Max was still lying on the floor behind Jennifer, he had not moved all the time the men from the ambulance were treating and seeing to the man, “your quiet Max is anything wrong” asked Jennifer?

Max stood up looked at Jennifer barked and rubbed against her, licked her hand as if to say “No I’m safe with you” then waited for the ball to be thrown.

The End