Back in Oct or Nov I kind of adopted a dog. The concrete security wall that surrounds my apartment has a cut out window with steel bars. One day a street dog, a German Shepherd, got up on his hind legs so that he could see in the "window", then he rested his chin on the concrete "window sill", cocked his head a little to the side, and his eyes seemed to say "Are you friendly? I need soome food please."
Now I should make you aware that I've never been fond of dogs. And I never had a pet of my own until I was almost 30 years old. So, a dog getting through to my hard heart is a rarity. But there was something about him....maybe I identified with him a little re: looking for friends in new places. Anyhow, I started to collect dog scraps from all the kids after our meals. The kids must eat everything on their plate, so there's no much in the way of scraps except when we have chicken or similar. And I know chicken bones are recommended for dogs, but if I don't give him the bones myself, he's just going to join the other dogs as they pull them out of our big metal trash dumpster. So everynight I tried to give him something to eat. I put out a chicken bone, and he gently takes it from my hande. He'd eat almost anything (except peanut butter). Given the choice btw a plain, dry, flat tortilla verses a tortilla that has a small smear of peanut butter on it, I think he'd rather bury the peanut butter tortilla than to eat it. It's amazing how I looked forward to him every evening, even though I knew we'd probably never see other than through the window. And I never saw him during the day, but he learned my schedule, and he was near my window around 6pm every night patiently waiting for me.
Crazily, I kind of worried about him when I went home for Christmas, being concerned that maybe I'd caused him to loose out on his turf where he dined before he met me. And sure enough, when I returned back here, I didn't see him for the first few days, but then he returned. I was so glad to see him that I decided to give him a name....Rex. One child here asked if he comes to his name. I said said....but I think he'd come even if I called him Maria. I can't explain it, but he brings me a strange sense of comfort and enjoy him as a part of my daily life.
Now I should make you aware that I've never been fond of dogs. And I never had a pet of my own until I was almost 30 years old. So, a dog getting through to my hard heart is a rarity. But there was something about him....maybe I identified with him a little re: looking for friends in new places. Anyhow, I started to collect dog scraps from all the kids after our meals. The kids must eat everything on their plate, so there's no much in the way of scraps except when we have chicken or similar. And I know chicken bones are recommended for dogs, but if I don't give him the bones myself, he's just going to join the other dogs as they pull them out of our big metal trash dumpster. So everynight I tried to give him something to eat. I put out a chicken bone, and he gently takes it from my hande. He'd eat almost anything (except peanut butter). Given the choice btw a plain, dry, flat tortilla verses a tortilla that has a small smear of peanut butter on it, I think he'd rather bury the peanut butter tortilla than to eat it. It's amazing how I looked forward to him every evening, even though I knew we'd probably never see other than through the window. And I never saw him during the day, but he learned my schedule, and he was near my window around 6pm every night patiently waiting for me.
Crazily, I kind of worried about him when I went home for Christmas, being concerned that maybe I'd caused him to loose out on his turf where he dined before he met me. And sure enough, when I returned back here, I didn't see him for the first few days, but then he returned. I was so glad to see him that I decided to give him a name....Rex. One child here asked if he comes to his name. I said said....but I think he'd come even if I called him Maria. I can't explain it, but he brings me a strange sense of comfort and enjoy him as a part of my daily life.
1 comment:
Great story, don't you just love dogs?
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