I had my happy days at home with humans.
We played together, shared laughs and tears,
Then kids had grown and started losing interest.
The fun was gone, and I became a burden.
So, humans drove me out of the house
And dropped me at some abandoned place.
I frantically tried to find the way back home
And, after days of helpless wandering,
Got lost, exhausted, almost hit by cars,
Then suddenly became an eyesore
To some affluent neighborhood,
Where stray dogs cannot happen.
It didn’t take them long to catch me,
And now I am a shelter dog,
Awaiting my fate.
It’s like imprisonment, but what’s my crime?
Not understanding that back home
I was no longer welcome.
Day after day I sit in a cage
And listen to my fellow inmates.
Some stories that they howl are similar to mine.
Occasionally, visitors will come
To take a look,
Some even play with us
And utter sounds of compassion.
Adoption is a dream. For it to happen,
You must be truly Lucky Dog.
They came today, a mother and her child
Good-looking and well dressed,
Stopped right in front of me.
Am I that Lucky Dog today?
Oh, no... Will they take me?
I’m so excited, hard to keep restraint.
The mother says:
“Be gentle, sweetie, he can bite you.”
Well, I’m not “he,” I’m “she,”
And I don’t bite, no need to worry,
For if I do, they’ll send me off to the pound.
I’ll play with you, another game of chance
To leave the boring cage, to stretch my body,
To lick your hand. It smells of ice cream.
Oh, if you take me, what joy!
I’ll be your friend, defender, entertainer,
Whatever I can do to please.
Well, not this time.
The kid is losing interest: “Mom, let’s go!”
The mother doesn’t mind; she’s feeling good
About her parenting.
The child has learned today
That dogs are kept in shelters
And taken care of by someone else.
It was so educational. Oh well...
They came only to play and not to take me
Or any other dog.
I knew that much; I’ve been through it before.
Back to my cage, the meal is coming soon,
Then, after a walk, I’ll lie down and fall asleep,
And dreams will come again about happy days
At home, with humans.
