Dear Mother of 5 Minus 1:
You seemed to have forgotten something when you moved. Nope, it wasn't the A/C window unit or the blinds. I can see from the driveway that you got those. It wasn't the tricycle that used to sit upside-down in the middle of the yard. No, you remembered that, too. YOU FORGOT YOUR DOG!
Yep, you must have missed him in the backyard – what, with the grass 5 feet tall – but it's weird, you remembered to take his water bowl and food because when I found him hiding under a bush on a 90-degree summer day, he had no food, no water. He had nothing, in fact, but a ragged, buckle collar that I couldn't put even one finger through. He must have had a growth spurt from the day you forgot him to the day I found him, except he was so skinny, I could see all his ribs. It's a good thing there was a monsoon the night before, so he could drink from the droplets of water falling from the bush leaves he was hiding beneath.
I guess with 5 dependents, you're bound to forget someone. It's a wonder you remembered to get the 4! I only know you had 4 other kids because I tracked down your landlord. He said when you first rented the house you only had 4 and later added the 5th – a dog. You weren't supposed to have a dog, he said, but you told him your kids really wanted one, so he caved. Man, your kids must have been heartbroken when they realized their treasured pup-pup wasn't on the U-Haul. Your youngest must have cried her eyes out a couple blocks down the road when she saw he wasn't in tow. I'm sure one of the older boys must have noticed those sad puppy eyes as you backed out of the driveway. "Wait, Mama, you forgot the dog!" he yelled, but maybe you couldn't hear him with the sound of boxes shifting in the back of the truck.
Gosh, what was that first night like for your kids – the first night without their dog, knowing their mother accidentally left him in the backyard? I'm sure they tried to remind you in as many ways as a kids can, but you were probably so overwhelmed with the moving and what-not, you didn't hear their wails, see their broken hearts.
Now that you realize you forgot your dog, I'm sure you are just devastated. This must be the worst Amelia Bedelia moment of your life, right? I can relate. I once walked out of a grocery store carrying a 6-pack of Sunkist. I went a block before I realized I didn't pay for it. I promptly turned around, of course, but still, we can all be so air-headed sometimes.
Let me assure you, your dog is fine. Animal control almost seized him, where he might have perished either by euthanasia or by a dog fight in an overcrowded pen. I couldn't let that happen to your precious, innocent dog, so my family and I took him in. It's no trouble, really. In between our normal routine with jobs, our own 3 dogs, and family stuff, we've taken him to the vet (he's fine, by the way), the park, playdates – you name it. We've even crate-trained him and taught him sit. He's really a fantastic dog who gets along great with our dogs and cats. We didn't know his name, so we're calling him Arthur. The vet said he's a little under a year old and is a plott hound. Does that sound right?
He ADORES kids, but you already know that.
As much as we love Arthur, he really needs to go home.
Kindly,
The Nice Lady Who Is Fostering Your Dog
P.S. Of course, I'm just kidding about looking for you, evil bitch. I'm writing to find a kind, loving person to open their hearts and doors to him – and never close them.
P.P.S. Please share this post! If you are interested in adopting Arthur, please send me an email.
