- SPARK -
The Story of Spot
Erica Neel, age 12
Today is unlike any other day. Today I’m going to get a forever home! I could just tell it was like everything was brighter but...probably not, since that’s what I say every day. I don’t know why they don’t like me? I’m adorable. They gotta love me! I’m a black and white husky pup, and I even have beautiful blue eyes. I also have a bonus feature that no other dog has: I can see color, which my parents used to say is a very special gift. Others say I’m weird and “different.” I don’t know what I call it, but other than that I have other problems, like I wish someone would just take me home already!
I hate being here! One of the reasons is I sleep in a scratchy, ugly, blue bed. Another thing is I don’t know what time it is because I don’t know how to do all that number stuff, but I can’t say I’m stupid at least—I can count to three now.
I told you about how much I hate this place, so now I want to tell you about my everyday life. I wake up very itchy, and I bark as loud as I can so the people who work here can know I’m ready to eat. I don’t really like those people a lot cause they give me way too many shots! Sorry, I keep getting off topic. I have the brain of a goldfish. So, back to the story: I bark and get my breakfast. After I eat, they let me and all my friends go outside to pay for a long time ’til it gets dark. Before it gets dark, we do a bunch of other stuff, but it is kind of boring, mostly chilling with my friends, talking about that new movie with Luke Skybarker. Sometimes during the day I sit and wish I could fly, so when those squirrels run up the tree I can see what they do up there and maybe even fly over the gates to get out of here.
I want to see if I can find the perfect kid, a kid who will love me for life from the time he sees me ’til the time I die. I want a kid who will take care of me no matter what, no matter if I pee on the carpet or something else that was my fault. I will be sorry forever. I will do whatever it takes as long as the kid loves me, even if I stink and I’m not clean. I just want a forever home so I can stay there, unlike the home I had. I thought it was true love, but I guess not. I was a stray for a while as I hoped someone would love me again, maybe later but not now. I’m basically in jail for a crime I didn’t do. People come in here looking for a new pet, but it’s never me. I don’t know why. That was the past.
Let’s go to the present now. I have a forever home. I live with a girl who was all alone, but now she has me and we’re both very happy. I sleep with her, eat with her, we go on walks together, and I even go to work with her. I help her out because she can’t hear very well, so I’m just her extra pair of ears. I help her, and she helped me when she adopted me. I love her. I don’t know what I would do without her. She is the best and that’s my story. I hope you liked it. I hope you didn’t cry too much in the beginning, ’cause it all turned out good. I love my girl and she loves me!
- PROMPT -
Let’s update the saying that a dog is a “man’s” best friend. How can a dog be a person’s best friend? What do you do with your best friend? Play video games, play during recess, share lunch together, have sleepovers. Write about a day with your other best friend—your pet. What would a friendship between an animal and human look like? How might it be the same or different than with your human best friend?
