A Street Dog's Day

The streets were plentiful with food yesterday. It was like my own personal buffet. I remember the menu well. There was bread, chicken, sandwiches, and loads of french fries. My survival depended on these streets and up until today, they never let me down.

I searched up and down my usual neighborhood for food and here lately, there was none to be found. I couldn’t understand what was going on. Early every evening I was usually able to find something because of the litter bugs and the restaurants discarding food. But now something was going on in the streets that were a complete mystery to me. I didn’t see anything unusual, so what could the mystery be?

I went back to the alleyway that I called home. As I laid my weary bones down to rest, I heard the sound of a machine coming down the street. I ran to the main street and there it was; a big car with a contraption strapped to it called a street sweeper. This was the thing that was eating my food every day.

I chased behind the street sweeper barking all the way. It made a lot of noise so the man driving didn’t hear me. He stopped for a light and I ran up beside him and barked as loud as I could. The man looked at me, shook his head and continued down the street. I chased that street sweeper for eleven blocks until I gave up and started back home. I was tired, hungry and very angry because my food was taken away.

The next day I saw that street sweeper again and started to growl. Once again I started chasing it down the block. As I ran up beside it, I got too close and one of my paws got caught in the contraption. The man that was driving realized this and stopped immediately. He jumped out of the sweeper and tended to me immediately. As I whimpered, he got one of the stores to call a vet, fire dept., or anybody that could help.

Pretty soon the fire dept. and a vet that practiced on the block arrived at the scene. When they freed me, the vet took me into his office. The man driving the street sweeper parked and followed us. It was a miracle that my injuries were minor and the vet explained that it was quick thinking that saved me.

The man asked the vet if I could stay there until he finished his shift and he agreed. I was in pain but happy to be off of the streets. I had food, drink and meds that started to make me woozy.

When the man returned he told the vet to check me out thoroughly because he wanted to take me home. I was so happy that I began to cry. I beamed with happiness as he explained to the vet that I would be well taken care of by him and his nine year old son.

The luckiest day of my life was when I chased that big car with the contraption down the street. I will now be fed well, housed, and never have to worry about street sweepers taking my food again.

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