Written from the perspective of a dog

I STOOD at the side of the road and looked one way, then the other.
It was a long stretch of road with strange people passing on bikes, in cars and a few big trucks that caused the road to vibrate, scaring me.
It was an unfamiliar place and I cried quietly, shuddering with fear, not seeing my home and the familiar neighbourhood where I lived.

“Where am I? Where are you, Mum and Dad?”

I had a family since I was a baby, a young couple who loved me for my small size, my cuteness, bronze fur and soft brown eyes. I was cared for and happy, and I made nice friends with the neighbour’s cat, Ginger, and a white poodle named Otis. He often escaped through the gate and ran down the road, sometimes falling into the drain and getting muddy.

Life was good for me, I never got into trouble, but as I grew older, I got less attention and cuddles. My mum and dad sometimes argued and got into little fights, and during those times, I was pushed aside and spoken to with impatience. It made me feel sad, and there were nights when I was left alone for long hours in the dark, hungry, but I comforted myself with the thought that they would come home, because it was home.

Things did not get any better when, after one of their fights, my mum left home with just a fleeting glance at me. I was left with Dad alone for an entire week, and when he drank, he forgot to give me food. Mum returned, and things got back to normal. I felt happy again, but months later, Dad decided to leave. That left Mum so grieved, she couldn’t care for me, and her friend decided to keep me until my mum was ready to take me back.

Time passed, and she did not come for me, but I waited with hope, though I was feeling sad and lonely. I missed my home, and I wished Dad hadn’t walked away. The friend wasn’t quite an animal person, and she did not treat me kindly, forgetting often to give me food and water. I grew weak and one night, whilst I slept, I felt hands picking me up. I was too weak to react, but I heard a voice saying, “She can’t take him back, and I don’t want him.”

I awoke in the morning on the strange road.
I now had no home and no family.

What do I do?
Where do I go?

I was hungry and thirsty, and not far off I saw a couple of men eating food. I managed to get close enough, and noticing me, they threw a few scraps my way, and I ate hungrily.

“Nice little fella,” one of them said.

And so, it was now life in the streets for me among other dogs who hadn’t a home or family.
“I had one,” I cried, “but now they have left me.”

I survived on scraps of food, and I learnt to keep a safe distance from the bigger dogs to avoid getting beaten up. I found shelter from the sun and rain under trees, cars and trucks, but I did not leave the road, just in case Mum or Dad came looking for me.

Days and weeks passed with no change, as I continued longing for a warm home and loving family.
“Where do I find that?” I wondered.

One day, I walked a good way along the road, not sure where I was going. I finally reached a wide bridge and stood there uncertainly as cars turned onto the bridge, driving into the compound. But one car slowed, then stopped, and the young woman driving looked at me curiously. She got out and approached me cautiously, but I was kind of scared, wanting to turn and run back up the road. The sound of her voice stopped me, for it was a gentle tone, and it gave me a feeling of hope.

“Hey, you, where have you come from?”

I wagged my tail a little, for I recognised the kindness in her voice. She patted my head, and she said, “Come on, you look hungry.”

She got into her car and drove into the compound as I ran slowly behind. She gave me some food and water and said to me, “Find somewhere to relax, I have to work.”

And so it began, a beautiful friendship. And though she had to leave for home in the afternoon, I knew I had found someone special who was an animal lover. I now had a place to stay, though not a home, but better than the streets.

I was given regular baths and became like a poster boy for her workplace, I guess because of my cuteness. As I played around, I saw another dog, who was also a stray and usually came into the compound for food. She was white and light brown, bigger than me, but we got along nicely and soon we became close friends. A mother cat and her kittens were also taken care of, and the girl had to buy food for all of us.

It was clear she loved animals and that gave me a happy feeling, but she knew I needed a permanent home and she tried to get me adopted. That took a long while because she needed to be sure the people interested in adopting would give me a forever home with care and comfort. She couldn’t find anyone suitable and finally decided to take me to her home.

I was quite excited and felt sorry about leaving my friend, but this was what I wanted since I was abandoned on that strange road.

The girl lived in a beautiful, quiet area in a big house that stray animals like me can only dream of.
Her mother was just as kind and loving, for she was already taking care of three other rescue animals – two dogs and a cat. There was a big, white, and handsome family cat in the house, who looked at me warily, not quite liking the idea that I was there in the house.

The other animals were more outside than in, because they seemed to prefer the outdoors in the garden.

In that home, there was comfort, warmth and love, but I missed my friend in the compound, wondering how she was doing. The girl noticed that my friend was sad, missing me too, and decided to take me back to spend a day with her. We were both so happy to see each other, and we spent the day playing and sleeping in our favourite spots. But in the afternoon, when the girl came off from work, I had to go back with her, for now, I have a home and family.

But she did a good thing, though, in bringing me back from time to time to spend a day with my friend. I wondered if she would ever get a home of her own, and if the mother cat and her babies would also find good homes. There are so many animals in the streets, unwanted, and I was lucky that an animal lover saw me and rescued me, giving me a forever home.

From the streets to a castle.