We decided, my husband and I, to adopt a dog from a shelter. My husband fancied getting a purebred dog, believing that breeding means nobility, intelligence, and loyalty.
However, I urged him to visit a shelter with me, and he reluctantly agreed. Throughout our many years together, Robert has never once opposed me. You might wonder why we’ve chosen a dog and not a child. We’re quite solitary people and are now in our later years. We both understand the responsibility for any living being we choose to bring into our lives.
Raising a child means nurturing, educating, and preparing them for the world—a lengthy “project,” whereas a dog will be with us until the end. This dog will be like our shared child with Rob.
At the shelter, a heartbreaking scene lay before us. The air was heavy with an unpleasant odor, mixed with the relentless barking and howling that was heart-wrenching. Like abandoned children, all the dogs looked at us with hope, eager for an outstretched hand.
Rob and I walked past the endless stretches of cramped cages, feeling the weight of hundreds of eyes following our every move. Good grief, why must these animals suffer so much? I believe that if we didn’t have so many forsaken animals, we’d also have fewer abandoned children—maybe orphanages would even become obsolete.
Animals, much like children, require patience, love, and care, and they communicate in a “foreign” language we often fail to understand, interpreting it as convenient for us.
Suddenly, Robert stopped in his tracks beside one of the cages. Within lay a dog, indifferent to the world, his gaze lifeless. He didn’t react at all to our sudden presence. It was as though he were deaf and blind. “Why that scruffy one? Why not take this one? It’s a purebred,” suggested the caretaker almost immediately.
“He’s been returned multiple times, and it seems he’s chosen hunger as an escape,” the female volunteer explained the sad facts of this poor soul’s story, her voice filled with bitterness. Robert attempted to communicate with the dog, who turned away disdainfully, having lost all faith in people.
“You see, he is a wonderful companion, obedient, and though he’s a mongrel, he’s more loyal than those ‘royals’ of the animal kingdom,” the girl’s voice now carried hope, as she followed us closely, watching us intently. I reached through the bars to touch the dog. He unexpectedly turned toward me, his gaze fierce yet sorrowful, resting his nose in my hand. His nose was slightly damp, warm breath tickling my skin.
I laughed. The dog let out a long sigh, stood, and wagged his tail. “It’s a miracle!” the volunteer exclaimed, “You’re the first people he’s responded to.” “The vet had started preparing him for euthanasia,” added the shelter manager, a kind man, but detached from the travail of his work.
The volunteer continued, “The dog understands everything; he howls softly at night, mourning his harsh fate, and yes, tears do fall from his eyes.” “Have you seen a dog cry? I have!” she confessed, her voice shaky, averting her tearful eyes.
You should have seen Robert then. He resembled this beaten-down dog so much. I’ll never forget his eyes, pleading like that of a dog’s, seeking kind mercy. And nearby, the dog’s eyes. We locked gazes for a while. Within the depths of his soul, a storm of emotions raged—he hadn’t forgotten people’s betrayals, but he so desperately wanted a family! Suddenly, a desire to live surged within him.
He howled, long and melancholy, unleashing all his pain. Shelter staff gathered around our cage, many crying openly. Robert knelt before the dog, as if seeking absolution for all of humanity’s sins.
“His name is Loyal,” said one of the staff, handing us his lead. The entire shelter saw us off. Someone devout made a quiet cross for our departure. And this cross sealed the bond between the three of us forever.
Rob completely forgot about purchasing a purebred dog. After all, “buying a dog” sounds odd, don’t you think? Can one truly buy a friend, and is loyalty and love something you can purchase?
The dog trotted happily beside us as Robert let him off the lead, finally able to relish his newfound freedom. He seemed to know he’d be with us to the very end and that he wouldn’t have to cry ever again.
