( Intermediate Level )
There is something special no one can explain about a dog’s love for its human. They pick their person and are theirs forever.
Joey, as many people called him, lived on the streets and survived on the handouts given by passersby.
He would sit for hours just watching people. Never barking. Never causing trouble. It was as if he was looking. Looking for that special someone.
The butcher on Elm Street always had special treats for Joey. Handing him scraps from the meats he cut. Joey seemed to show up like clockwork every day around the same time.
“What a handsome boy you are. Are you here for your treats?” Joey would sit patiently as the butcher came to him.
Wagging his tail and staring into his eyes as if to show how much he appreciated this snack. He would gobble up the scraps, bark then head off to wander the streets.
Joey wasn’t anything unique. He was burnt orange and white with a few battle scars from other bigger and meaner dogs on the streets.
If you hadn’t had the opportunity to encounter Joey and his kindness you surely would pass him by.
What people didn’t know was his intelligence. How he seemed to interpret if someone needed help. Once he knew Miss Margaret needed help in crossing the road .She stood at the crosswalk for what seemed ten minutes.
Joey was watching from the bottom of the steps at her apartment building. He sprang into action and ran into the street standing in the middle barking at all cars that approached.
Eventually the cars stopped and Margaret was able to walk across safely. She stopped briefly to pat him on his head. “Thank you Joey. You are a good boy.”
That night Miss Margaret had a treat for his good deed. She had stopped to buy him a rawhide chew which he seemed to enjoy.
Days turned into weeks then into months and Joey still looked for his forever human. You could see him by the busiest supermarket in town or the town park. He would sit for hours just looking at everyone.
It was a late Sunday afternoon and six year old Stan Miller came out of the store with his mom. Joey’s attention focused on this little boy. He was shy and stood close behind his mom.
He approached the two carefully. Stan smiled from behind his mom. He slipped down and patted Joey’s head. Stan was all smiles. “Mommy, look.”
His mom looked down quickly, “That’s Joey. He belongs to the city.” Stan looked up with a frown on his face. “He doesn’t have a mommy or a daddy?”
“As far as I know he never had owners. People are kind and they make sure he has food and shelter on those rainy days,” Mom said as they entered their car.
Joey sat staring down the street as they drove away in their car. He wandered off to the butcher’s to see what tasty morsels were on the menu today.
Something odd happened the next day. Joey had found his way to the school’s gate waiting for Stan. A place where he never went before.
Out of the hundreds of children who attended , he was looking for just one. Stan. After a year and a half on the streets had Joey picked out his human? Something drew him there.
These encounters happened everyday for about a month. Joey showed up at the end of school. He waited until he saw Stan, got his pat on the head then left as his mother showed up.
Stan would tell his Mom, “Joey came to see me today.” His Mom would smile and say, “Seems he rather likes you.” “He comes everyday, Mom,” Stan said, beaming from ear to ear.
On the twenty sixth Stan’s mom headed to school a little later than she usually did to pick him up. She was caught behind a traffic accident and all traffic came to a standstill.
She was frantic knowing her son would be alone waiting for her . There was nothing she could do until the police officers pulled the cars involved off the streets.
More than forty five minutes had passed and she was able to travel on towards the school. She knew her son would be terribly upset because she was late.
To her surprise, as she pulled up in front of the school, she was relieved. There stood Stan and his new companion Joey. He was there with him the whole time.
As she got out of the car she apologized to Stan and bent over as she approached Joey. “Thank you boy for watching over Stan.” as she gave him a pat.
“I wasn’t scared Mommy. Joey was here with me. I knew nothing bad would happen.” Joey stood up as Stan opened the car door. He wagged his tail and started to head off.
Stan looked at his mom then at Joey again. She knew what he was wanting. “Joey. Joey. Come here boy.” Joey stopped and looked back.
He turned and headed back to them. As he approached the car she opened the back door. “Joey, you want to come home with us? Without hesitation, he jumped into the back seat. You didn’t have to ask him twice.
Stan was in the car by then and gave Joey the biggest hug .”You have a forever home now boy.”
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Thoughts From Angel:
What kind of person would I be if I didn’t share pictures of my “Joey?” Meet my Bella. I am her human. She has brought so much happiness into my life.
I can’t imagine life without her now. When I arrive home from a busy day she greets me then sits and waits . She watches and seems to know if I had a good day or bad then acts accordingly.
Animals are amazing creatures and bring so much joy to your life.
If you appreciate what I do:
Vocabulary:
passersby – noun: a person who happens to be going past something
butcher – noun: a person who cuts up and selling meat in a store or shop
patiently – adverb: tolerance of delays
staring – verb: look at someone or something with one’s eyes wide open
gobble up – phrasal verb: to eat something in a hurry
intelligence – noun: the ability to apply knowledge and skills
interpret – verb: to explain or have knowledge of the meaning
sprang – verb: move or jump quickly
deed – noun: an intentional act
focused – verb: pay attention to
frown – noun: a facial expression showing disapproval
morsels – noun: a small piece of food
drew – verb: to cause to move in a particular direction
beaming from ear to ear – idiom: to smile happily
standstill – noun: no movement or activity
frantic – adjective: distraught with fear
wagged – verb: (animal’s tail) movement side to side
hesitation – noun: pausing
Question ( s ):
Do you have a pet?
Do you have many homeless dogs or cats on the streets in your city?
Does your city or country have no kill shelters?
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