Saving Brownie

“I love dogs, and do whatever I can to help them. So even though this story isn’t based on an actual experience, that is where it came from.” Anousha, Age 10

I hear whimpering come from behind a bush. I peek behind the bush and laying there is a wounded she-dog. I take the injured dog in my hands. She is not very heavy. I can tell that she is underweight because her ribs are poking out from under her. Even though I am lost, I can’t just leave an injured dog in the forest to die!

I see a sign up ahead. With the dog in my arms, I run to the sign. It says Trail Exit Up Ahead, with an arrow pointing the direction to go. I follow the arrow until I am at the exit. I see a town with lots of little homes, and just my luck—a pet hospital right next to the pet store. I rush in the direction of the pet hospital, which is not very far away.

The dog starts whimpering in pain and sorrow. I try my best to comfort her. “Don’t worry girl, I got you. We are going to the hospital,” I say soothing her. Her whimper softens. Finally, we get to the small, dim pet hospital. I push the front door open with a free hand and hustle the dog inside. A woman looks up from her computer over her glasses. Her eyes flick to the dog in my arms and her hand flies up to her mouth. “Oh my!” she exclaims. “I will call a vet right away! Hang on, sweetie.”

Getting Help

She reaches for her phone and dials. “Yes. There is a customer with an injured dog. Yes. Twisted leg, broken teeth. Yes. Something else too. Yes. Okay, bye.” She places the phone in the cradle and looks up. “Where did you find this dog?” she asks.

“In the woods,” I replied, hoping the vet would arrive soon. The receptionist nods. I hear a car pull into the parking lot and turn to see it. A lady dressed in vet attire gets out of a car and rushes in.

“Hello, my name is Ms. Elizabeth and I need you to tell me exactly what happened. Follow me.” Ms. Elizabeth leads me to a room with an examination table in the middle. “You can set her down here,” she says while putting some gloves on. I place the dog gently on the table. She does not struggle or wiggle around, as if she understands that I am trying to help her.

“What happened with this dog?” Ms. Elizabeth asks, looking at me.

“Well…” I start to tell her. “I was on a trail in the woods when I heard some whimpering. I saw the dog. She was injured, so I carried her to the trail exit and saw this place.”

Ms. Elizabeth nods. “I see,” she says. “I will take a look and let you know what I see, okay?” I nod, but I don’t say anything. I sit in the waiting room, hoping that the dog is alright and wondering if I should drop her off at a shelter. Half an hour passes. Ms. Elizabeth comes out and calls me in. “This is the medicine for her leg and I put a cast on her broken leg and tail. Other than that, she is fine. Are you going to take her home?” she asked.

“Yes,” I confirm.

“Good. Remember to go to the pet store to get her ID tags and pet supplies.” I walk out of the room with the dog, who seems much better. I pay for the medication and cast fees and walk to the pet store, holding the dog carefully. I buy a leash, bed, some pet food and a collar. I walk to the ID tag machine and select a tag for the inscription. The machine asks the dog’s name, gender, and address.

For the name, I think for a while. I look at the dog. She stares back with soft brown eyes. I type in Brownie. It is the perfect name for this dog. I fill out the rest of the information and get the tag. I clip the tag to Brownie’s matching collar. I take a taxi home and from that day on, Brownie is my best friend.  THE END

An Animal Story

If you enjoy animals like Anousha does, perhaps you can write your own animal story. It could be about a pet you have now or one that you’d like to have.

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