A Puppy's Tale

Once upon a time in a village small and quaint,
dwelled a little, furry dog who lived with a local saint.

For identity's sake, we should make him up a name,
I once had a friend name Spencer, we'll call our dog the same.

He lived with a doctor of sorts, who fixed pets big and small.
He was a hero in this town, thought of fondly by all.

The town was full of children, yes, many kids indeed.
so many that people often laughed and said "this town was born to breed."*

As we know most kids love pets, so, many pets they had.
And as you can imagine, our doctor's paychecks weren't too bad.

Now that you've been introduced to the town, our story can go on.
Let's get back to Spencer, before you start to yawn.

Spencer was a special dog, and he was loved by all.
When someone was in need of a little pal, it was Spencer they would call.

Spencer was a loner, but not the kind that you'd expect.
See, Spencer was a loaner, or something to that effect.

Whenever the town's pets would have an ailment or two,
They brought them to the doctor in hopes there was something he could do.

Depending on their ailments, their stays were sometimes long.
And sometimes they didn't get to go home, when their ailments were too far gone.

That's where our little Spencer comes in, and why I called him a loaner.
He would go home with the families, as a sort of comfort donor.

He would fill the space and void that was left by the inpatient pet.
He would live there for a while to make sure that none of them would fret.

The kids were always his favorite, they were always such a joy.
Spencer would give all he had to bring a smile to each girl and boy.

How the kids loved Spencer, they could never get enough.
He didn't mind if they pulled his tail or played a little rough.

He would follow them anywhere, and sleep at the foot of their beds.
He'd keep close watch of each of them, while they rested their little heads.

Spencer treated each family as if he'd been there all along.
But deep inside he knew somehow that he just did not belong.

The time would come when their pets came home, or a new one they would find.
and Spencer would go back to the doctor's, he never seemed to mind.

He knew that soon enough, another family would need his care.
He'd rush right over to bring them smiles, or at times to just be there.

As time went on, our little dog, well, he became quite sad.
his tail stopped wagging, his head hung low, he lost the light that he once had.

He never forgot or took for granted the love that he'd been shown.
But Spencer started to realize that he needed a family to call his own.

A food dish with his name engraved, kids to play with in the yard.
A family to greet when they came home, loved ones he could guard.

Not just for a short time, he needed a place to settle in.
A family that he could really trust to be there til the end.

He no longer played with the kids in town, he rarely saw them at all.
And he no longer came running when a family in need would call.

He moped about the village with his tail between his legs.
His attitude got so bad, it smelled like rotten eggs.

Now this is the point in the story, where you may begin to think,
"how will this tale end? Will it be happy or will it stink?"

I don't want to ruin it, but I'll give you a little clue.
by the end of this little rhyme, you may be saying "boo."

Oh, don't give up yet, please just keep on going.
Don't think because you got a hint, that you've become all knowing.

There was a new young couple that had just moved into town.
They had no kids, they had no pets, so they decided to look around.

While walking to the store one day, they came across our little friend.
They knew at once they'd found their dog, their searching came to an end.

Instantly the light he'd lost returned to Spencer's eyes.
All the moping he'd done recently, he suddenly despised.

The couple asked some passers by to find where Spencer had come from.
They were directed to the doctor's house, on the corner of main and plumb.

They told the doctor they'd like to adopt him if they could.
He asked if Spencer would be filling in, or if they wanted him for good.

No, he would not be a loaner, he would not be taking someone's place.
The doctor was so pleased to hear this, a smile was plastered on his face.

He loved Spencer as much as the next, but never considered him his own.
He'd always hoped that Spencer would find his place, somewhere to bury his bone.

The couple took Spencer home and let him sniff out his new pad.
They showered him with bones and squeaky toys, he'd never been so glad.

He had his bowl, he had his yard (that he'd marked right off the bat).
He had family to love and guard, and feed him scraps 'til he was fat.

The couple in time had many kids that loved Spencer to no end.
See, now here is a happy ending for our furry little friend.

You'd be mistaken if you thought i forgot my little clue.
For some reason unbeknownst to me, they nicknamed Spencer... come on, take a guess... yep that's right...
"Boo."