Post by O f f i c e r Kyle. on Aug 31, 2007 16:49:10 GMT -5
I got tired of waiting to share it, so I am posting it unfinished. This may be a ranting story that should have already ended, but I am having so much fun writing it. (I ish weird) I like to have something to work on. Anyways, here it is, the unfinished story of Cansaro, with Kyle, Sara, and Nenderie!
Cansaro's Story
A small floppy eared puppy sat in the back of his cage. His hazel eyes stared out longingly. Long pale golden fur covered the pup’s body. Paws looked as if stained with mud, but the natural fur was colored with the brown color. The tail as well dipped with brown, wagged slightly as people passed by. He cocked his small head and let out a small soft whine. He was a mutt, the breeds that made him unknown. Brown ears perked up listening to the sounds of the shelter animals around him. A small pink tongue hung out of his mouth between two small white fangs hidden by the fur on his muzzle. He had been at the shelter three months, the first month he had been sick, and for the last two months he had been up for adoption. He stood and put his little paws on the cage door and let out a loud high pitched bark. He was a medium sized dog, now full grown. His name was written on a card stuck to the cage door. The card said ‘Cansaro
Breed: Mixed
Age: 1 Year
Adoptable’
A collar hung from his neck. A cheap collar really, one that every animal in the shelter wore. It said his ‘Cansaro #34479’ He didn’t understand why the number was there, but it was important to the humans. He shook his furry head and barked again. He jumped down and started to eat the food from his bowl. Cansaro chewed the food and watched outside the cage. He swallowed and laid down setting his head on his paws. His hazel gaze stared in front of him as he waited for that one person, the right person, to come and adopt him. He was happy being here, his reasons good ones. Only three months before he had been lying in an ally in piles of trash. His fur was dirty, covered in fleas and ticks. His owners had dumped him there, his left back leg broken. He had been beaten and then left to die; his owners had only ever called him mutt. He didn’t understand why they would do that, and he had been wary when he had gotten to the shelter. The people here seemed nice; they were gentle and spoke softly, unlike his owner’s loud sharp voice. They helped him, got rid of the pain, the hunger, they gave him a safe cage to live in. He still cowered at every shout and bang. Every angry human scared him. The kind playful puppy could get aggressive. Yell enough and he’d snarl, bark, and bite. The shelter knew that, and told all potential adopters, and that turned them away. His ears dropped as people would leave, not wanting a playful young mutt who would only be aggressive when loud noises were created. He barked again and stood as a little girl came by his cage, but she ignored him and his ears dropped, his tail stilled, and he walked to the back of his cage, head down. He lay down with his back to the cage door and stared and the wall separating his cage, from the dog behind his cage.
Cansaro’s ears perked as he heard somebody’s voice from outside his cage. He turned, his hazel eyes looking up to the man outside the cage. It was Kyle, one of the shelter staff. He was wearing his work uniform, something similar to that of the police, but instead of saying NYPD on the patches on his shoulders, it said ASPCA. Cansaro stood and walked over to the front of the cage and barked jumping up onto the cage door and hoping to be petted. Kyle opened the cage slightly and kneeled down petting the little puppy’s head. Cansaro let his tongue to hang out as Kyle petted him. The man was kind, and one of the pup’s favorites. He put a small paw on the top of Kyle’s hand and yipped happily wagging his tail. He looked up at the blue eyed human wanting to play. Kyle smiled.
“Not now Cansaro.” He said, amusement filling his voice. Cansaro looked at him pleadingly, his little puppy face adorable. Kyle laughed again and picked Cansaro up. The puppy’s tail wagged and Kyle took him to the front o the shelter, setting him down on the desk. Cansaro stood happily watching Kyle as he sat down and picked up a pen. The man started writing on a piece of paper and Cansaro looked at him confused, but happy to be able to be with Kyle. He stepped closer to Kyle and reached his head out nibbling a bit at the man’s black hair. He stepped on the papers on accident, and Kyle reached up and took his short hair out of the dog’s mouth. Cansaro stepped back and waited for it, for the punishment, but it never came. He crouched low wary of how Kyle would react, but when the 25 year old only smiled and petted him, he relaxed. He sat down and watched as a family of four walk in. An older girl, maybe nine years old, patted him on the head. He wagged his tail and closed his brown eyes. The girl smiled and said something to Kyle. Cansaro looked to Kyle who nodded and kept writing. The dog could tell that it was a different paper now, and knew that there were more for Kyle to do. He wondered what was going on. In the two months he had been up for adoption, he had never been let loose in the shelter, no animal had, yet, now he was. He jumped from the desk and Kyle didn’t seem to notice. He happily walked around the room. It was a big room, the floor was tile, the walls had posters with animals on them, and some human writing. The doors were closed like usual, and he knew there was a reason, just not what the reason was, like most human things. He walked over to the doors and looked outside. The doors were almost completely glass, and he could see the busy city streets beyond the shelter. He stood still as he watched people walking down the sidewalk with their dogs, the cars drive down the street, and the kids running around. He stepped back as a lady came in. She gave an odd glare at Cansaro and stood at the counter. Kyle didn’t notice she was there and kept writing. Cansaro could tell the lady was impatient and jumped up only getting his front paws on the desk. His back claws scraped the desk as he tried to lift himself up. The lady looked down at him and pushed his paws off. He fell with a thump, but stayed silent otherwise. He jumped up again and managed to scrabble up. He barked at Kyle, but the lady had already started to yell at him.
“Why is there a dog loose? Shouldn’t they all be in cages?” the lady asked angrily “And how come you just ignore me when I want help getting dog?”
“You didn’t say anything to me until that so I didn’t know what you wanted, and there is no rule against having dogs loose in the shelter.” Kyle said looking at her with an unreadable expression. The lady yelled something that Cansaro didn’t understand, but Kyle had. Kyle stood up. He stood at a height of 6’2”, taller than the lady’s 5’1”. “If you’re going to act like that then maybe you should leave.” He said. Cansaro could hear the agitation in his voice. Cansaro growled, but Kyle’s stern gaze stopped him and he stood with his head low as well as his tail. The woman yelled again and walked out angrily. Kyle watched, and then sat down petting Cansaro. The puppy jumped down and lay in Kyle’s lap and laid his head down. He was a lap dog, the right size to be. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Cansaro’s dreams were filled with memories of the past. He twitched and whined remembering the night he was dumped. Pain shot through his leg as he remembered the beatings. Hunger gripped his stomach again, thirst dried his throat. Each whimper stung on the back of his throat, each movement brought new pain. The fleas and ticks bit again. The night was cold and dark, the sounds of the city echoed in his ears. The shouts of humans, the sounds of cars screeching to a stop, the barks of the dogs with their owners, and horns honking. He barked again, but it turned out to be soundless. He tried to stand but fell over. More pain hit as he fell, this time strong and more real as he jolted awake.
As Cansaro opened his hazel eyes he was laying on the floor under the desk. Kyle was sitting on the floor petting him with a concerned look on his face. The pain from his dream had left, but Cansaro’s head hurt. He sat up and looked at Kyle confused. How was he on the floor, and why did his head hurt? Kyle petted him lightly and picked him up and set him back on the desk. The little puppy wagged his half brown tail slightly, but fell over out of dizziness. Kyle petted him again and took a treat from his pocket offering it to Cansaro. Cansaro looked up and sniffed it, then quickly grabbed it and laid down eating it quickly.
“It’s okay.” Kyle said petting him some more. He sat down and Cansaro looked at him with confusion. Kyle was just sitting and watching him with a smile on his face. Cansaro barked and jumped onto his lap again and put his small paws on Kyle’s shoulders and started to lick his face. Kyle laughed but gently pushed Cansaro down. “No.” he said, softly, but strongly. Cansaro lay down and watched Kyle curiously. The human said nothing and continued to pet the confused puppy. Cansaro barked and humped from the desk to find that Kyle didn’t care again. He barked and ran around the room making as much noise as possible, trying to find out what would make Kyle try and catch him. His yips were loud and echoed in the almost empty room. He could here the sounds of the animals in the kennels, loud and depressed, some even angry. He looked up as somebody else came in. Another staff member, Sara. He barked and ran around the girl’s legs. She picked him up and started to take him to the kennels, but turned as Kyle put a hand on her shoulder and said “No.”
“Why? You know we aren’t supposed to have animals loose.” Sara said looking at him, just as confused as Cansaro.
“The rule is that animals up for adoption are not allowed to be loose. Cansaro is mine.” He said. Suddenly Cansaro understood. He belonged to Kyle, and Kyle was his owner. He shook at the thought of having another owner, the memories of the first still haunting him. Then his shaking calmed as he thought of Kyle’s kindness and all the love he had given to Cansaro. He barked and wagged his little tail and the girl set him on the floor. He sat and looked up at the two humans happily. They looked down at him smiling and petted him again, then went off to work.
Cansaro wandered the shelter, and followed Kyle around happily, and receiving treats along the way, though he also was given several nasty looks and growls. This went on for a few hours and the little dog was content and lay down to sleep in front of the desk. He slept lightly, and this time, his dreams were happier. Several people woke him in the hour that he slept, and he licked them happily, and then returned to his resting.
The last time Cansaro was woken he looked up to see Kyle sitting down on the floor in front of him. He was still smiling, though there was an odd mixture of emotions that the dog could sense. The man seemed a bit sad, but also angry, guilty and scared. His happy look would fool any human, but not a dog like Cansaro. He could not be tricked like that, nor would any other dog. The young mutt stood on his mud colored paws and licked Kyle’s face and wagged his tail. Cansaro didn’t know what was wrong, but he knew that a puppy like him could cheer a human up, especially with his cute little puppy face. He looked up at Kyle with an innocent look in his hazel eyes. He wagged his tail and let out a little whine. He lifted a small brown paw and set it in Kyle’s left hand. His ears were perked and his tongue hung out of his mouth slightly, his top teeth hidden by long fur that hung from his muzzle. Kyle took the collar from Cansaro’s neck and set it on the desk. He petted the pup’s head and rubbed his neck, setting the fur into its normal place where the collar had been. Cansaro waited for another collar to replace it, but it didn’t come. Kyle picked him up and walked back into the kennels. He found Sara and she looked up at him.
“I’m going home, and taking Cansaro too.” Kyle said and Cansaro barked at the sound of his name. He knew it was his, it was unmistakable. All the humans called him that, so it must be his name.
“Okay.” Sara said, a bit of unhappiness in her voice.
“When do you plan on going home?” Kyle asked giving Cansaro a treat.
“Um, 5:30-ish.” She said after thinking for a bit “Why?”
“I could give you a ride home. I know you don’t have a car, and I don’t live too far from here, so it won’t be a problem to come back.” Kyle offered.
“Really? You sure, ‘cause my dad could always come get me if it’s too much of a problem for you.” She said, though Cansaro could tell she really did want Kyle to drive her home.
“I don’t mind Sara. Really, I need to go to that side of town later anyways.” Kyle said and changed to a more comfortable stance.
“Okay! Thank you!” Sara said, and both Cansaro and Kyle could tell that she wanted to hug him so much. Kyle nodded and turned to walk out of the room. He looked back over his shoulder, turning around only a little.
“See in two ours then.” He said after looking at his watch. It was 3:30 now. Kyle carried Cansaro out of the shelter and set him in a car parked in front of the shelter. He got in on the other side and started to drive off. Cansaro watched out the window at all the cars and building. He had his small paws on the window as he watched everything go by. Last time he had been in a car every breath hurt from bruises, every attempt to stand would shoot pain up his back leg. He had no chance to observe the city around him, and now he was amazed by all these human things. Huge and sturdy, so many, each so tall. The world outside the shelter was amazing to the little dog, but at every ally his perked ears dropped as he remembered that night.
By the time they got to Kyle’s house Cansaro was asleep again. He was curled up almost like a cat. His half brown tail curled over him and his head was between his front legs. His ears were flat against his head, and his breathing was calm and undisturbed. The terrible dreams had left him, and he slept soundly now. He did not wake as he was lifted and taken from the car by Kyle. Nor did he wake when he was set gently on the couch as Kyle sat down himself. The little puppy still lay asleep, unaware of his changed surroundings.
When the pup opened his sleepy hazel eyes he was startled to see he was in a large room, off the floor, and alone. The couch under him was soft and comfortable. He saw unusual things, at least to him. It was warm and the puppy felt nice. He stood up and took another sleepy loom around. He yawned and wagged his tail. He sniffed the air, and then looked down at the ground. He wasn’t as high up as he had been on the desk, but he was still high up for a dog of his size. Cansaro jumped from the couch onto the carpeted floor. He sniffed the floor and then started to wander. The walls of the house were bare, no pictures on them. It was clean, and seemed that who ever lived there was almost never home. He sniffed around a small table and then looked into the next room. It had high counters and the floor was tiled. He walked onto it and the smooth surface was the same as that of the shelter. The familiar clicking of his claws filled his ears. The only sound in the room. He looked to a corner and saw a bowl of dog food, and another with water. He smelled the food and nervously took a bite. He had heard from dogs at the shelter that some owners poisoned the dog’s food to try and kill them. This food smelled normal. He lapped up the water and padded out of the room, his claws silenced by the carpet. He walked down a hall. There were three closed doors, and one at the end of the hall was open. Cansaro looked in to see a bed and a dresser. He turned and walked back to the room with the couch. There was a door to the right of the couch, and a window behind it. He jumped up on the couch and looked around again. This place was so different from the house he used to live in.
His old home had been dirty and smelled of smoke, among other things. Cans and other things lay spread around over the floor and tables. If he had dared jump on the couch he would have been thrown to the floor and had things thrown at him. Now the place was quiet, clean, and nobody seemed to be there. He lay down and stared. There was nothing around to play with. He whined and laid his head on his paws. His floppy ears perked as he heard noise from outside. The door on the pup’s left opened and Kyle came in with some things in his hand and keys. He set the keys and papers he was holding on the counter. The noise of the man’s return comforted Cansaro. Now he wasn’t alone, the silence broken. The dog sat up and watched Kyle curiously. What was going on? This wasn’t the shelter, and it wasn’t his old home. He barked and stood. Kyle turned from what he had been doing and looked at the little dog, almost surprised. Cansaro tilted his head and whined a little. Kyle walked over and started to pet the dog.
“Welcome home Cansaro.” He said happily. Cansaro looked up at him and wagged his tail rapidly. He barked and jumped off the couch and ran around his legs. Kyle laughed and picked Cansaro up “I see you found the food bowl.” He said looking at the now empty bowl. He set Cansaro on the counter and took a treat out of his pocket and holding out. Cansaro sniffed and took the treat happily. Kyle petted Cansaro again and then started sorting through some papers. Does he ever stop looking through papers? The dog thought. He looked the man over. He was wearing the same clothes as he had to work, and he looked maybe even a little tired. He licked Kyle’s face and jumped from the counter. He ran in circles barking and yipping excitedly. He ran to a large glass door and jumped up his claws scraping against the glass. He stopped as the noise rang in his ears. He sat and looked at Kyle, wanting to go outside. Kyle left the kitchen, but went down the hall instead of letting Cansaro out. He went into a room with the door closed, and closed it again behind him. Cansaro was confused, but sat still. Kyle returned holding a ball. He opened the glass door and threw the ball out into the yard. Cansaro ran after it. His short legs carried him across the large yard, but slower than the larger dogs he had seen. He jumped up and almost caught the ball, but fell to the ground with the ball bouncing right in front of his nose. He growled and stood. He barked at the ball, then picked it up and carried it back to Kyle. The ball was big for the dog’s small mouth, but he managed. He dropped it and looked up at Kyle with longing hazel eyes. Kyle threw the ball again and Cansaro ran after it again. This time he didn’t jump for it, but let it land right in front of him. He barked and ran around it happily. He stopped as he heard voices from the other side of the fence.
“I’m surprised.” A lady’s voice said.
“Surprised about what?” Came a male’s voice.
“That he just now got a dog.” She said.
“Who?” the man asked.
“That Kyle guy next door. He got a dog, see it. It’s small, and loud.” The lady said.
“Oh, the animal shelter guy.” The man said “It’s a mutt. That’s what he’s got.”
“Well, now we’ll have to put up with that loud and unnecessary noise for another ten years.”
“I wonder, if he’s worked with animals for so long, why hasn’t he gotten one before?” the man asked.
“I don’t know. I mean he rescues them every day, and yet he hasn’t had one of his own until now. I’m glad of that.” The lady answered.
“Shouldn’t we be happy and supportive of our neighbors?”
“Yes we should, but I think that mutt of his is gonna drive everybody crazy. I could hear him in the house as I was cleaning up the garden.” The lady said harshly. Cansaro growled and ran up to the fence and started to bark and yap. They could see him, and he could see them through the chain link fence. He barked and snarled angrily. The woman stood and yelled “Stay away mutt.”
“Sorry.” Kyle said as he picked Cansaro up from behind. He turned and looked back at the lady “Oh, and I haven’t had a dog before ‘cause I didn’t have enough time until now.” He muttered and carried Cansaro into the house. Before he closed the door, the woman’s voice rose loud enough for everyone else to hear.
“That dog better learn some manners! That noise is gonna drive us all crazy!” she yelled.
“I’m afraid you’ve already driven me crazy.” Kyle said loud enough for only him and Cansaro to hear. He laughed a bit, “Maybe you should teach that cat of yours some too.” He said loud enough for the neighbors to hear as he set Cansaro down and picked a large furry white cat up out from under the table. ‘It must have come in when we were playing.’ Cansaro thought. Kyle carried the cat over to the fence and held it out “Take Princess and keep her out of my house.” He said as she grabbed her cat. She looked at him with an angry glare and walked into the house slamming the door in her husband’s face as he tried to follow her. He looked at Kyle, but Kyle only shrugged. The neighbor’s husband sat in the yard and just looked to the sky. Kyle walked back and sat on the pavement just outside the door and looked around the yard. Cansaro sat next to him. The yard was big for the little dog, but wasn’t too big to the human. Cansaro ran and picked up the ball and dropped it in front of Kyle. Kyle picked it up and threw it lightly to the other side of the yard. Cansaro stayed quiet and ran after it his tail swaying behind him as he ran. He picked up the ball, this time far after it landed. He ran back to Kyle, but the man was already standing. He walked into the house and looked at Cansaro pointing into the house. Cansaro dropped the ball and ran inside. He ran in circles in the living room and fell over tripping over himself. He let out a yip of surprise and Kyle looked at him, concern in his eyes. The look was the same as the one he had received from the one who had saved him that terrible night. Kyle was the man, the one who had helped him so much. He wagged his tail as he stood seeing the relief that filled his clear blue eyes. He petted Cansaro again and sat on the couch. Cansaro jumped into Kyle’s lap as Kyle turned on the TV. The dog didn’t know what he was watching, but just looked up at Kyle. It was a good thing for the little dog. He trusted Kyle, and Kyle loved him.
When Kyle stood he picked Cansaro up. The little puppy allowed the human to grab him and looked up at him still. When Cansaro was placed back in the car, worry flooded over him. Was Kyle taking him back to the shelter? No way! He whimpered and lay down looking at his mud colored paws.
“It’s okay. We’re just going to get Sara.” Kyle said as e started to drive back to the shelter. Cansaro sighed. He watched Kyle the whole way to the shelter. He almost fell as Kyle stopped the car quickly. The man cursed under his breath and grumbled some other things. Cansaro stood and looked out the front window. His paws were set on the door. He saw that everybody in front of them was stopped as well. He looked back to see the people behind them stopping. He lay down. This continued for a while. Stop, go, stop, and go. Finally they got to the shelter. He jumped out of the car and followed Kyle inside wagging his tail. He looked up to see Sara sitting in a chair against the right wall staring at Kyle. “Sorry I’m late.” He said looking at his watch. It was almost 6 pm and he was supposed to have been there at 5:30.
“It’s okay. I’m in no hurry.” Sara said standing up. She looked at Cansaro “He behaves so well.” She said kneeling down to pet Cansaro. She then stood up and looked at Kyle “Let’s go.” She said and walked out. Kyle got in the car after opening the door for Sara. Cansaro jumped in on Sara’s lap and was happy that she did nothing but pet him.
“He likes you.” Kyle said.
“Yeah, he’s a good dog. I love him, and how could you not?” Sara said.
“The neighbors hate him. They say he’s too loud.” Kyle said “They also asked me how come I work with animals and haven’t had one until now. I just told them I was too busy.” He said.
“And that’s not true, is it?” Sara asked.
“Nope, it was a lie. I have had enough time; it’s just a family thing that kept me from it. Mom hates animals, ever since the German shepherd when I was six. The dog killed my dad after my dad beat him. The dog got hit by a car after running from animal control, and my mother would never get a pet. Not even a cat.” Kyle said, some parts he murmured, but they were still audible, at least by Cansaro. Sara nodded at times. She didn’t say anything but put a hand on his shoulder. She quickly drew it back though and looked out the window. The rest of the ride to Sara’s house was quiet. Cansaro could hear the noise of the city around them. When they got to Sara’s house they all got out. Kyle stood on the sidewalk and looked at Sara “See you at the shelter tomorrow.” He said. Sara smiled.
“Yeah.” She said. Cansaro looked up at her and she petted him. She quickly hugged Kyle, and then ran up to the house, turning and waving at them. Kyle waved back slightly, a confused look on his face. She went inside and Kyle got back in the car.
A small floppy eared puppy sat in the back of his cage. His hazel eyes stared out longingly. Long pale golden fur covered the pup’s body. Paws looked as if stained with mud, but the natural fur was colored with the brown color. The tail as well dipped with brown, wagged slightly as people passed by. He cocked his small head and let out a small soft whine. He was a mutt, the breeds that made him unknown. Brown ears perked up listening to the sounds of the shelter animals around him. A small pink tongue hung out of his mouth between two small white fangs hidden by the fur on his muzzle. He had been at the shelter three months, the first month he had been sick, and for the last two months he had been up for adoption. He stood and put his little paws on the cage door and let out a loud high pitched bark. He was a medium sized dog, now full grown. His name was written on a card stuck to the cage door. The card said ‘Cansaro
Breed: Mixed
Age: 1 Year
Adoptable’
A collar hung from his neck. A cheap collar really, one that every animal in the shelter wore. It said his ‘Cansaro #34479’ He didn’t understand why the number was there, but it was important to the humans. He shook his furry head and barked again. He jumped down and started to eat the food from his bowl. Cansaro chewed the food and watched outside the cage. He swallowed and laid down setting his head on his paws. His hazel gaze stared in front of him as he waited for that one person, the right person, to come and adopt him. He was happy being here, his reasons good ones. Only three months before he had been lying in an ally in piles of trash. His fur was dirty, covered in fleas and ticks. His owners had dumped him there, his left back leg broken. He had been beaten and then left to die; his owners had only ever called him mutt. He didn’t understand why they would do that, and he had been wary when he had gotten to the shelter. The people here seemed nice; they were gentle and spoke softly, unlike his owner’s loud sharp voice. They helped him, got rid of the pain, the hunger, they gave him a safe cage to live in. He still cowered at every shout and bang. Every angry human scared him. The kind playful puppy could get aggressive. Yell enough and he’d snarl, bark, and bite. The shelter knew that, and told all potential adopters, and that turned them away. His ears dropped as people would leave, not wanting a playful young mutt who would only be aggressive when loud noises were created. He barked again and stood as a little girl came by his cage, but she ignored him and his ears dropped, his tail stilled, and he walked to the back of his cage, head down. He lay down with his back to the cage door and stared and the wall separating his cage, from the dog behind his cage.
Cansaro’s ears perked as he heard somebody’s voice from outside his cage. He turned, his hazel eyes looking up to the man outside the cage. It was Kyle, one of the shelter staff. He was wearing his work uniform, something similar to that of the police, but instead of saying NYPD on the patches on his shoulders, it said ASPCA. Cansaro stood and walked over to the front of the cage and barked jumping up onto the cage door and hoping to be petted. Kyle opened the cage slightly and kneeled down petting the little puppy’s head. Cansaro let his tongue to hang out as Kyle petted him. The man was kind, and one of the pup’s favorites. He put a small paw on the top of Kyle’s hand and yipped happily wagging his tail. He looked up at the blue eyed human wanting to play. Kyle smiled.
“Not now Cansaro.” He said, amusement filling his voice. Cansaro looked at him pleadingly, his little puppy face adorable. Kyle laughed again and picked Cansaro up. The puppy’s tail wagged and Kyle took him to the front o the shelter, setting him down on the desk. Cansaro stood happily watching Kyle as he sat down and picked up a pen. The man started writing on a piece of paper and Cansaro looked at him confused, but happy to be able to be with Kyle. He stepped closer to Kyle and reached his head out nibbling a bit at the man’s black hair. He stepped on the papers on accident, and Kyle reached up and took his short hair out of the dog’s mouth. Cansaro stepped back and waited for it, for the punishment, but it never came. He crouched low wary of how Kyle would react, but when the 25 year old only smiled and petted him, he relaxed. He sat down and watched as a family of four walk in. An older girl, maybe nine years old, patted him on the head. He wagged his tail and closed his brown eyes. The girl smiled and said something to Kyle. Cansaro looked to Kyle who nodded and kept writing. The dog could tell that it was a different paper now, and knew that there were more for Kyle to do. He wondered what was going on. In the two months he had been up for adoption, he had never been let loose in the shelter, no animal had, yet, now he was. He jumped from the desk and Kyle didn’t seem to notice. He happily walked around the room. It was a big room, the floor was tile, the walls had posters with animals on them, and some human writing. The doors were closed like usual, and he knew there was a reason, just not what the reason was, like most human things. He walked over to the doors and looked outside. The doors were almost completely glass, and he could see the busy city streets beyond the shelter. He stood still as he watched people walking down the sidewalk with their dogs, the cars drive down the street, and the kids running around. He stepped back as a lady came in. She gave an odd glare at Cansaro and stood at the counter. Kyle didn’t notice she was there and kept writing. Cansaro could tell the lady was impatient and jumped up only getting his front paws on the desk. His back claws scraped the desk as he tried to lift himself up. The lady looked down at him and pushed his paws off. He fell with a thump, but stayed silent otherwise. He jumped up again and managed to scrabble up. He barked at Kyle, but the lady had already started to yell at him.
“Why is there a dog loose? Shouldn’t they all be in cages?” the lady asked angrily “And how come you just ignore me when I want help getting dog?”
“You didn’t say anything to me until that so I didn’t know what you wanted, and there is no rule against having dogs loose in the shelter.” Kyle said looking at her with an unreadable expression. The lady yelled something that Cansaro didn’t understand, but Kyle had. Kyle stood up. He stood at a height of 6’2”, taller than the lady’s 5’1”. “If you’re going to act like that then maybe you should leave.” He said. Cansaro could hear the agitation in his voice. Cansaro growled, but Kyle’s stern gaze stopped him and he stood with his head low as well as his tail. The woman yelled again and walked out angrily. Kyle watched, and then sat down petting Cansaro. The puppy jumped down and lay in Kyle’s lap and laid his head down. He was a lap dog, the right size to be. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Cansaro’s dreams were filled with memories of the past. He twitched and whined remembering the night he was dumped. Pain shot through his leg as he remembered the beatings. Hunger gripped his stomach again, thirst dried his throat. Each whimper stung on the back of his throat, each movement brought new pain. The fleas and ticks bit again. The night was cold and dark, the sounds of the city echoed in his ears. The shouts of humans, the sounds of cars screeching to a stop, the barks of the dogs with their owners, and horns honking. He barked again, but it turned out to be soundless. He tried to stand but fell over. More pain hit as he fell, this time strong and more real as he jolted awake.
As Cansaro opened his hazel eyes he was laying on the floor under the desk. Kyle was sitting on the floor petting him with a concerned look on his face. The pain from his dream had left, but Cansaro’s head hurt. He sat up and looked at Kyle confused. How was he on the floor, and why did his head hurt? Kyle petted him lightly and picked him up and set him back on the desk. The little puppy wagged his half brown tail slightly, but fell over out of dizziness. Kyle petted him again and took a treat from his pocket offering it to Cansaro. Cansaro looked up and sniffed it, then quickly grabbed it and laid down eating it quickly.
“It’s okay.” Kyle said petting him some more. He sat down and Cansaro looked at him with confusion. Kyle was just sitting and watching him with a smile on his face. Cansaro barked and jumped onto his lap again and put his small paws on Kyle’s shoulders and started to lick his face. Kyle laughed but gently pushed Cansaro down. “No.” he said, softly, but strongly. Cansaro lay down and watched Kyle curiously. The human said nothing and continued to pet the confused puppy. Cansaro barked and humped from the desk to find that Kyle didn’t care again. He barked and ran around the room making as much noise as possible, trying to find out what would make Kyle try and catch him. His yips were loud and echoed in the almost empty room. He could here the sounds of the animals in the kennels, loud and depressed, some even angry. He looked up as somebody else came in. Another staff member, Sara. He barked and ran around the girl’s legs. She picked him up and started to take him to the kennels, but turned as Kyle put a hand on her shoulder and said “No.”
“Why? You know we aren’t supposed to have animals loose.” Sara said looking at him, just as confused as Cansaro.
“The rule is that animals up for adoption are not allowed to be loose. Cansaro is mine.” He said. Suddenly Cansaro understood. He belonged to Kyle, and Kyle was his owner. He shook at the thought of having another owner, the memories of the first still haunting him. Then his shaking calmed as he thought of Kyle’s kindness and all the love he had given to Cansaro. He barked and wagged his little tail and the girl set him on the floor. He sat and looked up at the two humans happily. They looked down at him smiling and petted him again, then went off to work.
Cansaro wandered the shelter, and followed Kyle around happily, and receiving treats along the way, though he also was given several nasty looks and growls. This went on for a few hours and the little dog was content and lay down to sleep in front of the desk. He slept lightly, and this time, his dreams were happier. Several people woke him in the hour that he slept, and he licked them happily, and then returned to his resting.
The last time Cansaro was woken he looked up to see Kyle sitting down on the floor in front of him. He was still smiling, though there was an odd mixture of emotions that the dog could sense. The man seemed a bit sad, but also angry, guilty and scared. His happy look would fool any human, but not a dog like Cansaro. He could not be tricked like that, nor would any other dog. The young mutt stood on his mud colored paws and licked Kyle’s face and wagged his tail. Cansaro didn’t know what was wrong, but he knew that a puppy like him could cheer a human up, especially with his cute little puppy face. He looked up at Kyle with an innocent look in his hazel eyes. He wagged his tail and let out a little whine. He lifted a small brown paw and set it in Kyle’s left hand. His ears were perked and his tongue hung out of his mouth slightly, his top teeth hidden by long fur that hung from his muzzle. Kyle took the collar from Cansaro’s neck and set it on the desk. He petted the pup’s head and rubbed his neck, setting the fur into its normal place where the collar had been. Cansaro waited for another collar to replace it, but it didn’t come. Kyle picked him up and walked back into the kennels. He found Sara and she looked up at him.
“I’m going home, and taking Cansaro too.” Kyle said and Cansaro barked at the sound of his name. He knew it was his, it was unmistakable. All the humans called him that, so it must be his name.
“Okay.” Sara said, a bit of unhappiness in her voice.
“When do you plan on going home?” Kyle asked giving Cansaro a treat.
“Um, 5:30-ish.” She said after thinking for a bit “Why?”
“I could give you a ride home. I know you don’t have a car, and I don’t live too far from here, so it won’t be a problem to come back.” Kyle offered.
“Really? You sure, ‘cause my dad could always come get me if it’s too much of a problem for you.” She said, though Cansaro could tell she really did want Kyle to drive her home.
“I don’t mind Sara. Really, I need to go to that side of town later anyways.” Kyle said and changed to a more comfortable stance.
“Okay! Thank you!” Sara said, and both Cansaro and Kyle could tell that she wanted to hug him so much. Kyle nodded and turned to walk out of the room. He looked back over his shoulder, turning around only a little.
“See in two ours then.” He said after looking at his watch. It was 3:30 now. Kyle carried Cansaro out of the shelter and set him in a car parked in front of the shelter. He got in on the other side and started to drive off. Cansaro watched out the window at all the cars and building. He had his small paws on the window as he watched everything go by. Last time he had been in a car every breath hurt from bruises, every attempt to stand would shoot pain up his back leg. He had no chance to observe the city around him, and now he was amazed by all these human things. Huge and sturdy, so many, each so tall. The world outside the shelter was amazing to the little dog, but at every ally his perked ears dropped as he remembered that night.
By the time they got to Kyle’s house Cansaro was asleep again. He was curled up almost like a cat. His half brown tail curled over him and his head was between his front legs. His ears were flat against his head, and his breathing was calm and undisturbed. The terrible dreams had left him, and he slept soundly now. He did not wake as he was lifted and taken from the car by Kyle. Nor did he wake when he was set gently on the couch as Kyle sat down himself. The little puppy still lay asleep, unaware of his changed surroundings.
When the pup opened his sleepy hazel eyes he was startled to see he was in a large room, off the floor, and alone. The couch under him was soft and comfortable. He saw unusual things, at least to him. It was warm and the puppy felt nice. He stood up and took another sleepy loom around. He yawned and wagged his tail. He sniffed the air, and then looked down at the ground. He wasn’t as high up as he had been on the desk, but he was still high up for a dog of his size. Cansaro jumped from the couch onto the carpeted floor. He sniffed the floor and then started to wander. The walls of the house were bare, no pictures on them. It was clean, and seemed that who ever lived there was almost never home. He sniffed around a small table and then looked into the next room. It had high counters and the floor was tiled. He walked onto it and the smooth surface was the same as that of the shelter. The familiar clicking of his claws filled his ears. The only sound in the room. He looked to a corner and saw a bowl of dog food, and another with water. He smelled the food and nervously took a bite. He had heard from dogs at the shelter that some owners poisoned the dog’s food to try and kill them. This food smelled normal. He lapped up the water and padded out of the room, his claws silenced by the carpet. He walked down a hall. There were three closed doors, and one at the end of the hall was open. Cansaro looked in to see a bed and a dresser. He turned and walked back to the room with the couch. There was a door to the right of the couch, and a window behind it. He jumped up on the couch and looked around again. This place was so different from the house he used to live in.
His old home had been dirty and smelled of smoke, among other things. Cans and other things lay spread around over the floor and tables. If he had dared jump on the couch he would have been thrown to the floor and had things thrown at him. Now the place was quiet, clean, and nobody seemed to be there. He lay down and stared. There was nothing around to play with. He whined and laid his head on his paws. His floppy ears perked as he heard noise from outside. The door on the pup’s left opened and Kyle came in with some things in his hand and keys. He set the keys and papers he was holding on the counter. The noise of the man’s return comforted Cansaro. Now he wasn’t alone, the silence broken. The dog sat up and watched Kyle curiously. What was going on? This wasn’t the shelter, and it wasn’t his old home. He barked and stood. Kyle turned from what he had been doing and looked at the little dog, almost surprised. Cansaro tilted his head and whined a little. Kyle walked over and started to pet the dog.
“Welcome home Cansaro.” He said happily. Cansaro looked up at him and wagged his tail rapidly. He barked and jumped off the couch and ran around his legs. Kyle laughed and picked Cansaro up “I see you found the food bowl.” He said looking at the now empty bowl. He set Cansaro on the counter and took a treat out of his pocket and holding out. Cansaro sniffed and took the treat happily. Kyle petted Cansaro again and then started sorting through some papers. Does he ever stop looking through papers? The dog thought. He looked the man over. He was wearing the same clothes as he had to work, and he looked maybe even a little tired. He licked Kyle’s face and jumped from the counter. He ran in circles barking and yipping excitedly. He ran to a large glass door and jumped up his claws scraping against the glass. He stopped as the noise rang in his ears. He sat and looked at Kyle, wanting to go outside. Kyle left the kitchen, but went down the hall instead of letting Cansaro out. He went into a room with the door closed, and closed it again behind him. Cansaro was confused, but sat still. Kyle returned holding a ball. He opened the glass door and threw the ball out into the yard. Cansaro ran after it. His short legs carried him across the large yard, but slower than the larger dogs he had seen. He jumped up and almost caught the ball, but fell to the ground with the ball bouncing right in front of his nose. He growled and stood. He barked at the ball, then picked it up and carried it back to Kyle. The ball was big for the dog’s small mouth, but he managed. He dropped it and looked up at Kyle with longing hazel eyes. Kyle threw the ball again and Cansaro ran after it again. This time he didn’t jump for it, but let it land right in front of him. He barked and ran around it happily. He stopped as he heard voices from the other side of the fence.
“I’m surprised.” A lady’s voice said.
“Surprised about what?” Came a male’s voice.
“That he just now got a dog.” She said.
“Who?” the man asked.
“That Kyle guy next door. He got a dog, see it. It’s small, and loud.” The lady said.
“Oh, the animal shelter guy.” The man said “It’s a mutt. That’s what he’s got.”
“Well, now we’ll have to put up with that loud and unnecessary noise for another ten years.”
“I wonder, if he’s worked with animals for so long, why hasn’t he gotten one before?” the man asked.
“I don’t know. I mean he rescues them every day, and yet he hasn’t had one of his own until now. I’m glad of that.” The lady answered.
“Shouldn’t we be happy and supportive of our neighbors?”
“Yes we should, but I think that mutt of his is gonna drive everybody crazy. I could hear him in the house as I was cleaning up the garden.” The lady said harshly. Cansaro growled and ran up to the fence and started to bark and yap. They could see him, and he could see them through the chain link fence. He barked and snarled angrily. The woman stood and yelled “Stay away mutt.”
“Sorry.” Kyle said as he picked Cansaro up from behind. He turned and looked back at the lady “Oh, and I haven’t had a dog before ‘cause I didn’t have enough time until now.” He muttered and carried Cansaro into the house. Before he closed the door, the woman’s voice rose loud enough for everyone else to hear.
“That dog better learn some manners! That noise is gonna drive us all crazy!” she yelled.
“I’m afraid you’ve already driven me crazy.” Kyle said loud enough for only him and Cansaro to hear. He laughed a bit, “Maybe you should teach that cat of yours some too.” He said loud enough for the neighbors to hear as he set Cansaro down and picked a large furry white cat up out from under the table. ‘It must have come in when we were playing.’ Cansaro thought. Kyle carried the cat over to the fence and held it out “Take Princess and keep her out of my house.” He said as she grabbed her cat. She looked at him with an angry glare and walked into the house slamming the door in her husband’s face as he tried to follow her. He looked at Kyle, but Kyle only shrugged. The neighbor’s husband sat in the yard and just looked to the sky. Kyle walked back and sat on the pavement just outside the door and looked around the yard. Cansaro sat next to him. The yard was big for the little dog, but wasn’t too big to the human. Cansaro ran and picked up the ball and dropped it in front of Kyle. Kyle picked it up and threw it lightly to the other side of the yard. Cansaro stayed quiet and ran after it his tail swaying behind him as he ran. He picked up the ball, this time far after it landed. He ran back to Kyle, but the man was already standing. He walked into the house and looked at Cansaro pointing into the house. Cansaro dropped the ball and ran inside. He ran in circles in the living room and fell over tripping over himself. He let out a yip of surprise and Kyle looked at him, concern in his eyes. The look was the same as the one he had received from the one who had saved him that terrible night. Kyle was the man, the one who had helped him so much. He wagged his tail as he stood seeing the relief that filled his clear blue eyes. He petted Cansaro again and sat on the couch. Cansaro jumped into Kyle’s lap as Kyle turned on the TV. The dog didn’t know what he was watching, but just looked up at Kyle. It was a good thing for the little dog. He trusted Kyle, and Kyle loved him.
When Kyle stood he picked Cansaro up. The little puppy allowed the human to grab him and looked up at him still. When Cansaro was placed back in the car, worry flooded over him. Was Kyle taking him back to the shelter? No way! He whimpered and lay down looking at his mud colored paws.
“It’s okay. We’re just going to get Sara.” Kyle said as e started to drive back to the shelter. Cansaro sighed. He watched Kyle the whole way to the shelter. He almost fell as Kyle stopped the car quickly. The man cursed under his breath and grumbled some other things. Cansaro stood and looked out the front window. His paws were set on the door. He saw that everybody in front of them was stopped as well. He looked back to see the people behind them stopping. He lay down. This continued for a while. Stop, go, stop, and go. Finally they got to the shelter. He jumped out of the car and followed Kyle inside wagging his tail. He looked up to see Sara sitting in a chair against the right wall staring at Kyle. “Sorry I’m late.” He said looking at his watch. It was almost 6 pm and he was supposed to have been there at 5:30.
“It’s okay. I’m in no hurry.” Sara said standing up. She looked at Cansaro “He behaves so well.” She said kneeling down to pet Cansaro. She then stood up and looked at Kyle “Let’s go.” She said and walked out. Kyle got in the car after opening the door for Sara. Cansaro jumped in on Sara’s lap and was happy that she did nothing but pet him.
“He likes you.” Kyle said.
“Yeah, he’s a good dog. I love him, and how could you not?” Sara said.
“The neighbors hate him. They say he’s too loud.” Kyle said “They also asked me how come I work with animals and haven’t had one until now. I just told them I was too busy.” He said.
“And that’s not true, is it?” Sara asked.
“Nope, it was a lie. I have had enough time; it’s just a family thing that kept me from it. Mom hates animals, ever since the German shepherd when I was six. The dog killed my dad after my dad beat him. The dog got hit by a car after running from animal control, and my mother would never get a pet. Not even a cat.” Kyle said, some parts he murmured, but they were still audible, at least by Cansaro. Sara nodded at times. She didn’t say anything but put a hand on his shoulder. She quickly drew it back though and looked out the window. The rest of the ride to Sara’s house was quiet. Cansaro could hear the noise of the city around them. When they got to Sara’s house they all got out. Kyle stood on the sidewalk and looked at Sara “See you at the shelter tomorrow.” He said. Sara smiled.
“Yeah.” She said. Cansaro looked up at her and she petted him. She quickly hugged Kyle, and then ran up to the house, turning and waving at them. Kyle waved back slightly, a confused look on his face. She went inside and Kyle got back in the car.
