**Diary Entry – 12th July**
Yesterday was unbearably hot. The air hung thick, the pavement scorching underfoot, and all I wanted was to hurry home and switch on the fan. But first, I needed to pop into Tesco for something for dinner.
As I crossed the car park, squinting against the sun, something caught my attention—a movement. I turned and saw her. A golden retriever, panting desperately inside a locked car. My stomach twisted. The windows were fogged with heat, the dog’s tongue lolling, eyes glazed. If it was 35°C outside, the car was an oven.
A note on the windscreen listed a number. I rang it. A man answered. Calmly, I said, “Your dog’s overheating—come back now, at least open a window!” His reply was icy: “I left water. Mind your own business.”
Water? In a sealed bottle. How was the dog supposed to drink that? Anger burned through me. I couldn’t wait. Grabbing a loose brick, I smashed the rear window. Glass shattered, the alarm wailed, but I didn’t care.
I pulled the retriever out. She collapsed on the tarmac, gulping air, but slowly steadied. I doused her with my water bottle and called for help.
Minutes later, the owner stormed up, face purple with rage. “What the hell? I’m calling the police!”
Well, he did. And when the officers arrived, the unexpected happened. After hearing both sides, *they* thanked *me*. He got fined for animal neglect, and they opened an investigation.
As for the dog?
She’s curled at my feet now—a happy, healthy ball of loyalty. That retriever, nearly dead yesterday from someone’s stupidity, snoozes safely today. And I’d break that window again in a heartbeat.
Some people forget animals aren’t toys. They feel, they suffer—just like us. And if standing up for them makes me a nuisance, so be it.
**Lesson:** Never walk past cruelty. Even if it costs you a brick.
