Poor Lucy. It had been sad enough when her first owners surrendered her. Now, it has happened once again. How will she handle it? Read on to find out.
I do not own NCIS or its characters, including Lucy Dog.
Also, I've left an important message at the end of this chapter. It's vital that you read it!
My tail dropped as all my excitement melted away. Why did my owners leave me? How come they were going home and I wasn't? Were they coming back?
The fur faced man and the fun young female took me in the home. Inside, I could smell all sorts of dogs. Some scents were old. Some were fairly new. All of them were very different from each other.
"Since she'll be here for a few days, I'll keep her in the house" the fur faced man spoke. "I'm sure Champ, Izzy and Sophie won't mind a roommate."
The fun young female crossed her arms. "Till you give her away to that one man who keeps wanted more dogs than he needs."
"Hey, he pays well for these dogs. Anyone who's willing to pay a fair price for a dog is bound to take good care of it."
The fun young female didn't seem pleased. "Something feels off with that man. What does he want with so many Pit Bulls?"
"As long as he's paying well, then I'm not questioning it."
She sighed. "Fine. I just hope you're right that he really does care about them."
When the fur faced man took the loop off me, Champ gave me a nudge. "Looks like you're staying with us."
I frowned. "Yeah, I guess so."
Izzy yipped happily. "Come on! We'll show you where you'll be staying. And you can meet Sophie."
The two siblings showed me around the home, which was called a house. It was much more space than what either of my owners homes had. Instead of just one room, the house had several. A living room, the hallway, even the kitchen could hold up to ten maybe even twenty dogs. Oh, and the smells. There were all of those different dogs' scents. Plus the addition of cleaners, plants and loads of foods. The bacon scents I craved the most. Then they showed me to the second level of the house, where the bedrooms were. There was one for the male human, a second one where the female sometimes spent the night in, and the biggest was for a dog named Sophie.
Champ and Izzy opened the door to Sophie's room and led me inside. "Sophie, we have a guest!" Izzy called out.
In the room, I scented another dog. But also something else. It was the unmistakable smell of warm milk that I hadn't scented since I'd been a puppy. Oh, just smelling it brought back all those happy memories of my puppyhood. Sure enough, when I walked inside, I saw a dog with the same color pattern as the siblings, only she was skinnier with pointed ears. She laid in a rectangle bed with short walls. Right besides her were six tiny bundles of fur snuggling against her stomach.
When she saw me, the mother dog grinned. "Welcome. You can come in. My pups don't bite. At least not yet."
Slowly, I walked up to the mother dog and stared down at her litter. They were so little and smelled so sweet. Looking closer, I noticed that their eyes were still closed and their legs weren't big enough yet to make them stand. I wondered if I had been like them when I was still a baby puppy. Had I squirmed that much or fought with my brothers and sisters for our mother's milk? It made my spirits lift remembering those days.
The mother dog licked her babies. "My third litter. They're just a week old and already such a handful." She looked up at me. "And who might you be?"
"Sophie, this is Lady" Izzy introduced me. "She's going to be staying with us for a few days till she finds a new owner."
Find a new owner? Those words made my tail drop.
"Champ! Izzy! Come!"
Champ and Izzy lifted their heads. "That's our man" Izzy spoke. "Duty calls, brother."
"We'll meet back with you later" Champ told me before he and Izzy rushed out.
I was left alone with Sophie and her pups. "Something wrong, Lady?" Sophie asked. "You seem down. Want to talk about it?"
I took a deep breath. "If Izzy says that I'm here to find a new owner, that means that my owners don't want me anymore. But… That can't be true. Owners surrender dogs at shelters. So that means they're coming back, right?"
Sophie frowned. "Oh pup, I'm so sorry. I wish that were true. But I see that they've taken your collar off."
I stared down at my bare neck. "They did take it off just before leaving. And… And they gave me the same look my first owners gave me just before I was surrendered at the shelter." My tail tucked between my legs. I really had been surrendered again.
Sophie nuzzled me. "Oh pup, you mustn't get down. I'm sure it wasn't your fault they'd left you here."
"But, I tried so hard to be a good dog. After losing my first family, I never wanted to go through it ever again." I couldn't stop whining. "I… I don't know why they keep getting rid of me."
She put a paw over mine. "You are not the only dog whose had multiple owners. I was given to a little girl as a puppy. After making a mess in the house, the parents gave me to a young man. Then, when I got bigger, he gave me to an older couple. They kept me outside and chained me to a tree. After a woman in blue came by, the man took me to a junkyard and left me there. I then roamed the streets scavenging through trash and dodging cars. Till I came upon a barn that had a very elderly man who allowed me to sleep in the barn. After a few nights, his son came and took me here to live with him and his dogs. Since then, he's taken very good care of me. He'd even introduced me to this very nice male Doberman who has become my mate and fathered my pups." She licked my nose. "The point is, just because you've been unlucky with owners before doesn't mean that you'll never find a forever home. It took me nearly five years till I found the human I was meant to have. If I found mine, then I'm sure you'll find yours too."
While I was touched by her reassurance, I was still bothered by one thing. "But, how will I know when I've found the human that will keep me forever?"
"You'll know when you meet them. Just listen to your heart." She went back to cleaning her babies. But I felt that she'd already helped to cheer me up.
Even though I would always miss my second owners as I did with my first, Sophie did give me a new found hope. It was just as my Pit friend had said at the shelter. Maybe I can start over again with a new owner. And maybe this time, they'll be the human that I'm meant to have. The one who keeps me forever.
I remained at that house for five nights. I quickly learned that Sophie, her pups, Izzy and Champ weren't the only dogs who lived there. Out in the back of the house were large kennels that held lots of other dogs. Most of them looked like Sophie, even though some were brownish or had floppy ears. Some were almost identical to Champ and Izzy. While the rest were a lot like me, only they were mixes of all kinds of colors like tan, brown, gray and one was even a bit of blue. The fur-faced man fed us, brushed us and even clipped our toe nails. He also played lots of different games with the other dogs like Fetch, Follow, and Wait for Him. I wasn't allowed to play with the dogs in the kennels. But he did let me play with Champ and Izzy, which was always as fun as a bowl of squeaky toys. Champ was so fun to play wrestle with. Izzy always made me laugh with her silliness, whether it was putting a water bowl on her head or getting stuck in the doggie door. Sophie remained up in her room with her babies. But at least I was always permitted for a short visit. It was so nice to see those little bundles of fuzz and take a whiff of their milky scent. I never thought that sharing a home with other dogs would be so nice. Which was why it was kinda sad when I had to leave.
I was sharing a bed with Izzy in the kitchen when a man came in. He was a rather big man with more fur on his face than he had on his head. He also smelled strongly of what I thought were cleaning stuff and an odd watery scent. The moment I got a whiff of him, Izzy and I lifted our heads towards him.
He pointed to me. "That the dog you were talking about?"
The fur faced man nodded. "Yep. Owners turned her in few days ago. Said that she did well guarding their place. But they worried about her attacking their baby."
The water scent man grinned. "Good, cause I'm looking for guard dogs."
That was when the young female human from before came in. "Why do you need so many guard dogs?" The fur faced man gave her an odd glance.
"Lets just say that I owe money to some people and worry about them coming to my place. Need someone to scare them off." I wagged my tail when he petted my head. "Looks strong and tough enough to scare anyone."
The young female frowned and shook her head. "Gambling problem I assume?"
"That's enough, Bella!" The fur faced man shouted. "Forgive my niece. So, you'll take her."
"Sure thing." He did Shake with him. "Thanks, Pit."
"Anytime, Luke."
I didn't realize it till he put a looped leash around my neck, but the water scent man was to be my new owner. Wow, I'd only been here for a few days and already someone was adopting me. In that moment, I'd felt like the luckiest dog in the world. A human was giving me a third chance to be a his dog and this time I was determined to be a good dog.
As I waited besides water scent man's red pick-up, Izzy, Champ and Sophie came out to say goodbye. "You were the best playmate we ever had!" Izzy said.
"I'm gonna miss you guys lots" I told them. "I hadn't played with other dogs for a long time. It's been… Fun." To be honest, it was much more than that. Ever since I was adopted by my first owners as a puppy, I hadn't spent much time with other dogs. Anytime I'd tried to greet other dogs on walks or parks, my owners would tug on my leash and steered me away. I never knew why. Guess they didn't like me around other dogs.
"Actually, I don't think you'll be alone" Champ spoke. "I've seen this guy before. He adopted a few other dogs here before and I picked up lots of other dogs' scents on his pick-up. So it smells like you got plenty of playmates ahead."
Playmates! That made my tail wag harder. My new owner had more dogs to play with me? Oh, that was so exciting! Other dogs to play chase and wrestle with. What could be better than that?
However, while Izzy and Champ were happy for me, Sophie wouldn't stop glaring at my water scent owner. Each time he looked at her, Sophie would growl and show her teeth like he was a bad guy. "Why are you being mean to my new owner?" I'd asked her.
"Something feels off about him" Sophie answered while keeping her eyes on my new owner.
"How so?" Champ questioned her.
"I'm not entirely sure. But I feel that he's up to something. A bad something."
That stunned me. How could she say such rude things about my new owner? He was going to give me another chance at being a good dog. Better yet, he had other dogs for me to play with. Why was she thinking that he was some kinda bad guy? No way could he be who she thought he was.
"He can't be bad" I defensively told her. "He's my owner. No dog owner is bad."
But Sophie was still unconvinced. "Trust me, there are some humans who don't deserve to have a dog."
I wanted to question her about what she meant, but my new owner grabbed hold of me and put me in the back of the pick-up. "Thanks again for the dog" he told the fur faced man and the younger female.
"Whatcha gonna name her?" The young female asked him.
He waved his hand at her. "It'll come to me when I get her home." He then got up in the front.
I'd stuck my head out to bark my goodbyes. "Thanks for being my friends!" I'd called to Izzy and Champ. "Sophie, I wish you and your puppies the very best. May each of them find their families soon."
Sophie gave me a sympathetic look. "And may you find the family you're meant to have one day."
Before I could say anything more, my new owner drove off with me. Where we were going, I had no clue. But my tail wouldn't stop wagging, knowing that we were going to the place that was to be my home. And this time, I promised to be the good dog my new owner wanted.
After a very long drive, we came to a place surrounded by lots of trees and green. We stopped at a large house that had wood sticking out on every side of it and small holes. Right away, I could hear lots of other dogs barking inside. Champ was right, my new owner did have lots of other dogs for me to play with. In that moment, I believed that I had hit the jackpot of dog owners! Till he put that chain on me.
The moment my new owner got out of his truck, he came to the back and wrapped a heavy chain around my neck. My head was overcome with its sudden weight that it lowered to meet my chest's height. The cold metal that chain was made from also brought a strong chill to me. But what really bothered me about it was how tight it was. My new owner wrapped it so hard around my delicate neck that it made me choke. I never minded having a collar around my neck or being pulled on a leash before. But that chain was just so uncomfortable. So much that I struggled to follow when he pulled me forward.
"Come on!" My new owner shouted as he pulled the end of the chain. "Hurry up!" The chain tighten when he pulled on it, making my neck endure more pain. Yet, he continued to pull until I leaped out of the truck. "There you go, dumb dog. Now come to the barn." He pulled on me again. I didn't understand why though. I'd jumped out of the truck just as he told me to. What more did he want from me?
"You should follow him inside the barn."
I suddenly took notice of a small, white dog with the oddest coat I'd ever seen. He looked as if he was covered in bubbles with his puffy fur. He also had a bright green collar with a large beetle-like thing on. He walked merely beside me. "I wouldn't give him a hard time if I were you, pitty. The last dog who refused to walk when my man asked him to was taken to the lake. Just walk with him when he pulls. Trust me."
I didn't understand what the little dog was talking about when he mentioned about a lake. What was so bad about a large pool of water? Still, I hated how my new owner pulled that rough chain on me. So I did what the little dog suggested and followed as I was taken inside the barn.
Once in, I saw the other dogs. They were a lot like me, strong muscles, sturdy legs, and long tails. But many of them were a variety of colors of their own style. Some were grey, brown, dark or white. Others were two or more different colors splattered all over their bodies. I also noticed that many of them had patches of fur missing on them. Every single one of them was behind wooden pens and barking to be let out. The whole scene brought a shiver down my spine. This did not look like a home. It seemed more like a shelter, only it felt way more sad and depressing than either of the ones I'd been to.
Forgive me for getting off track again, but I got another thing I've got to tell you humans. By now, I've realized that every dog owner treats their dogs differently. Like how some owners prefer to keep their dogs outside. Honestly, most dogs would rather remain inside the house. That's because a dog who's left outside has to defend themself from rain, snow, heavy winds, and other elements of nature. Not to mention, to predators like bears, coyotes and birds or prey, a dog (especially a small one) left on their own outside is an easy meal. Course, humans who keep their dogs outside do it because they worry about dog hair getting on their furniture. I don't know why it bothers them. You humans don't seem to mind all that dandruff filled human hair on your things. But if you're really strong minded about leaving your dogs outside, please consider getting a nice doghouse for them to stay dry when it rains and shield them from the burning sun. And include a comfy doggie bed or some type of heat source during those snowy seasons. We dogs may have fur, but that doesn't stop us from getting frost bite when the temperature gets really low. And just like you, we get heat stroke if left out in the heat too long. So be sure that your dog has plenty of water to stay hydrated. I know that the fur faced man did this, but we really would appreciate that our owners not keep us in cages. They're great protection for smaller animals such as chickens and rabbits. But most dogs don't do well in cages. It's why you see so many dogs in shelters barking and jumping against their kennels. Dogs don't want to be locked up all day. We want space to run and explore. We want to feel grass under our paws, not hard wire. I mean, how would you feel being cramped behind bars all day? So, no to cages, please. We also prefer that you allow outdoor dogs be in a fenced in area rather than chained. Coming from a dog with experience being chained, we hate having a chain wrapped around our necks for so long. I mean, we're okay when those chain collars are used on walks and for training. But to keep it on all day is too much for us! A dog could choke themself if a chain collar is left on them for too long. So, please, build a fenced in area to keep your dog in and prevent them from running away or coming into contact with cars. That way, they'll stay safe and will be so happy to get to run freely. Overall, whether you keep your dog indoors, outdoors or maybe both, as long as you care for them and give them love, you're a great dog owner. As long as you don't keep your dog in a leaky kennel or force them to... Oh wait! No spoilers! Let's get back to my story.
After going pass six kennels with a dog in it, my owner put me in an empty kennel, took the chain off me and closed the door. He rubbed his hands together and said "you'd better get me some decent cash, moron."
As he walked away, the little white dog stuck his nose through the bars of my kennel. "Better get comfortable in your new home. Cause this is as comfy as it's ever goin' get for ya." When our owner whistled, the little dog dashed to him as he left.
Once my new owner and the little dog were gone, I tried to take in what just happened. Why would my owner lock me in a kennel like dogs were at a shelter? Why did he put that chain on me that made my neck really hurt? Why were all these other dogs locked away like me while that little dog got to go with him? Just what was going on here?
"Fin's not very nice." I turned to find a black and white dog in the kennel to my left. "He thinks he's so special just because our owner lets him sleep in the house with him."
"Fin?" I'd questioned.
"He's that small white poodle you'd just met. But don't take anything he says to heart. He teases everyone. The other day, he bragged about how he's better than us just because he's something called a purebred."
Purebred? I'd never heard that word before. Sounded like something made out of bread. Well, Fin certainly didn't smell like any bread. But he sure did look stuffed like bread.
"He said that we looked as if we rolled around in mud." I looked across at the three light brown dogs in a kennel together. One was brown with small point ears and a white patch on his chest. Another was a female with a white patch over her left eye. The smallest of them was mostly brown with a white stripe that ran from the bottom of his muzzle all the way to the end of his stomach. Each of them looked so similar to each other that I took them to be siblings.
"Fin is just jealous because he isn't allowed to get dirty" the female brown dog added. "Our owner cleans any spec of dirt that poodle gets on him." She then gave me a friendly look. "Have we met before?"
"Not likely" I told her. "I was just adopted."
"Me too!" The black and white dog next to me shouted. "Our owner got me from my first owner yesterday. I call myself Spike."
I tilted my head. "You call yourself Spike?"
"Yeah" the eldest of the light brown dogs spoke up. "For some odd reason, our owner doesn't give us names. He just refers to us as Dog, Mutt, or mostly Moron. So we figured that it would be cool to give ourselves names. I chose to be Barley since I don't want to be known as just moron. I want to have a real name, like humans have."
His sister wagged. "He's right. We've waited long enough for our owner to give us each a name. And if he won't give any of us one, then we'll just give ourselves names. Like how I chose to be called Buttons."
Spike snorted a laugh. "Cause that's your favorite treat?"
"No! Because they're round and cute just like me." I started laughing along, trying to picture her round.
"I'm Wheels" the smallest of the light brown siblings added.
I turned to him. "Why did you choose to be Wheels?"
"Cause I like the wheels on them cars. What about you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah" Buttons spoke. "Now that you're one of us, what do you want to be called?"
Me, giving myself a name? I was caught off guard. Mother taught me that my owners would choose my name. Was it right for me to name myself? "I don't know. I think I'll wait to see what name he'll choose for me."
Buttons huffed. "Not if he starts calling you Bitch, like he does with most of the female dogs here. I don't even know what it means, but it sounds insulting when he says it."
"And I hate to be known as just Moron" Spike added. "It's not a fitting name. None of us deserve to be anything other than Dog, Bitch, Mutt, Moron or anything our owner calls us. So since he won't give us real names, we've named ourselves." He gave me a stern look. "Tell me, you've had names before, right?"
I nodded.
"Do you want to be known as just Bitch or Mutt or Moron?"
All of those names put a nasty feel to my ears. I shook my head.
"So, why don't give yourself a name for once? This might be your only chance to choose your own name. Why not take it?"
I was still troubled. On one paw, I didn't want to disrespect my new owner by naming myself. But on the other paw, I didn't want to be called just Mutt, Moron or Bitch forever. Don't I deserve to be known as someone rather than just a dog? But what name would suit me? I can't be called after an object like Buttons and Spike. I want everyone to see me as a somebody not a something. I could go by one of my previous names, Cupcake or Lady. But that had been when I was someone else's dog. I was beginning a new life and therefore needed a new name to go with it. I tried to go over in my head the names some of the other dogs I've met have had. What names did that one old hound I'd met at the shelter been called. Sweetie, Princess, Lucy, Bella… Wait, Lucy? I don't know why, but the sound of that name had a ring to it.
"Lucy" I say out loud. "I want to be called Lucy."
My friends all yipped happily.
"I like it" Barley barked.
"It really says you" Buttons added.
Wheels snorted. "It's not as cool as mine thought."
As proud of a moment as that was of me choosing my own name, that moment was quickly ended by the sound of thunder and rain from outside. It started with a loud boom. Followed by the heavy pitter patter of raindrops. They repeatedly thumped the roof of the barn. Some drops managed to find their way through cracks and hit us with their chilling wetness. I had seen rain pour multiple times before. But I had never felt it until then. No wonder my previous owners always kept me in the safety of inside with the warmth and dryness.
"I wish our owner gave us blankets" I said out loud. "It sure is cold in here."
Spike gave me a sympathetic look. "You'll get used to it. Try curling up into a ball. That always helps me."
I gave him a grin. "Thank you. You're so kind."
"Hey, that's what friends are for."
Barley snorted. "Actually, Lucy belongs to the same owner as us. So she's basically part of the family now."
"You're more than our friend now, Lucy" Buttons added. "You're our family."
If dogs could, I would have blushed. Other than my mother and siblings, I hadn't had other dogs be a part of my family before. Even though I didn't share my previous owners with other dogs, I hadn't felt bad about sharing my new owner with so many other dogs. I'd thought, maybe this would be like how it was with Champ and Izzy's owner. I'll be allowed to play with the other dogs who were a part of our family. Oh, I really did end up in the perfect home!
As the rain continued coming down outside, I laid curled up in my kennel attempting to contain the remaining heat I had left. This home sure wasn't like my last ones and my new owner treated me and my new friends very differently than my previous owners had. Not even the humans at the shelter put me or the other dogs in such cramped spaces like these kennels. I tried to look at the positives. It may not have been as comfortable as my old homes, but at least I had friends with me. Better yet, friends who were part of my new family. I felt sorry for that Poodle called Fin. He was missing out on getting to be around such kind-hearted dogs like Spike, Barley, Buttons and Wheels. All he had was that house that he and our owner were spending the night in. And yet, deep down, I'd wished I was the dog living in that house. Or any house for that matter. It sure seemed better than spending the night in that kennel. I didn't understand why he had us kept in that barn and not in the house with him and Fin. I wouldn't figure the real reason for it till I was brought to those fights.
This is why if you're ever going to give away a dog or any animal for that matter, you need to do a background check on who you're giving them to. That means knowing their name, housing, if they're able to afford an animal, if there's a possibility for a move in the future, who else is living in their home, etc. I don't mean to sound like a critic. There are just a lot of factors to consider if you want to ensure the animal you're giving away ends up in the right home.
P.S. I know that this is a dog's story, but let's talk about cats for a moment. By which I mean big cats. And one of the most well known of the big cats are lions. When you think of lions, most of you would probably think of the iconic African Lions. But have you ever heard of the Barbary Lion (also know as the North African lion, Egyptian Lion or Atlas Lion)? This subspecies of today's lions lived in the mountains and deserts of the Maghreb of North Africa from Morocco to Egypt. They weren't that much bigger than today's African Lions, but they were said to have a thick, luxurious mane that was so big that it covered even its stomach, mainly because their range was in low temperature mountain regions. And how did humans show our admiration towards them? By hunting them to extinction. Because of the Barbary lion's impressive size and strength, Europeans captured these wild creatures to be used to fight gladiators in Roman Colosseums during the middle ages. Some of these lions were even brought back to be put in zoos or for exotic collections to royals. What's more, these fascinating predators were constantly hunted by trophy hunters in Africa and had to compete with the increase of humans taking over their homes. The increasing hunting and human encroachment forced them to move higher up the mountains. And by the 1960s, sightings of the Barbary Lions stopped and they are now classified as extinct in the wild. Today, some captive lions are said to still hold the genes of Barbary Lions. But even if that is true and the Barbary Lion can be reproduced in captivity, the chances of reintroducing them back into the wild would be very low. Mainly due to all the issues they'll have to deal with, such as climate change and habitat loss. So we'll likely never see the Barbary Lion in their native habitat ever again (sad, right?). What makes this story even more heartbreaking is that most species of lions face similar challenges that the Barbary Lions did. Lion populations in Africa have decreased by 43% in just twenty years due to habitat loss, conflict with humans, and sport hunting. So, unless we want to lose African Lions the same way we lost the Barbary Lion, the time to act is now! Urge for more conservation projects that ensure protective areas for Africa's lions to roam freely. Work alongside local communities that live close with wild lions to establish ways for them to live in harmony with them. Demand the act of hunting lions for sport be banned. There's still time to save lions as well as other species with similar threats. But we must all work together to ensure they're still around for future generations to come.
