I greet this world on a cold and wet night. My master did not provide my mother with a warm dry shelter to give birth to us. Morning finally comes and with it is warmth. Finally my master notices us and puts us in a shed. Mother’s milk is warm and I’m feeling full.
Time goes by, I’m getting stronger and bigger each day and I’m having lots of fun with my littermates. We chase the humans and bark and play. I’m 4 weeks old; my mother isn’t feeding us as much now since we now have teeth, which hurt – but the humans aren’t feeding us enough. I’m always hungry and not growing much bigger. I need to be fed at least 4 times a day! Oh my gums hurt; I need to chew on something. What’s on the ground that the humans left? A shoe, goody. I have something to play with and to chew. OW the humans are hitting and shouting at me. If you don’t want me to chew, don’t leave things on the ground! I feel as if something inside of me is eating my food. I feel weak. Fleas and ticks are crawling on me. I scratch but I can’t get rid of them.
At 6 weeks old, some new humans are around. Where are they taking me? The car makes me frightened and sick. I’m at the vet and he says that I should not have been taken from my mother at so young an age, and that I have lots of worms in my tummy, which makes me so weak and small.
I go to my new home – what fun! Lots of new sights and sounds. Now THIS is bliss! I get lots of food – milk, cereal, eggs and puppy chow, which is small enough for me to eat and I’m fed frequently every day.
At six months, I’m getting bigger and stronger. My masters don’t play with me much anymore. I’m sad; I miss the love and affection I used to get. They are always angry and hitting me. One minute I can jump on them and then the next they are shouting at me. This is confusing. I have no one to play with and I sometimes find that my water bowl is empty. I’m lonely, so I amuse myself. Hey look at those birds up there, I’m going to bark at them. What’s under this bush? Hmmm, it tastes good. The sheets are flapping in the wind, I’m going to go hunting and rip them down, chew them up. OW, my master is shouting and hitting me – but I have to do something – I’m bored. If you don’t want me to destroy things, move them out of my way.
He’s chaining me up and I can’t move around much, the pen doesn’t protect me from the sun and the roof is leaky. I’ve got fleas and I smell bad. Oh look the mistress is coming; I’m so excited that I bark and jump up on her. She runs away frightened. Why doesn’t someone train me, and teach me what to do?
I’m bored, lonely, thirsty and hungry. People pass in the road, they tease me and throw rocks at me. I get so mad that I bark constantly. The chain around my neck is tight – it’s growing into my neck! Pain makes me want to bite! They are not feeding me properly anymore, sometimes they just throw me some old and spoiled food. Since I’m chained up very short, I’m making a lot of mess around me, I’m sorry but I can’t help it.
OH, OH, I made a big mistake. My master accidentally pulled the chain, which was embedded in my neck, and I bit him. I’m sorry, but you hurt me so much that my neck was bleeding. He’s angry with me. Another car ride. Hey there are lots of dogs here that I can play with. What are you doing with that long pole and noose? OUCH don’t choke me, where are you shoving me? What’s that funny smell? I’m sick and woozy. I’m frightened – HELP! HELP! I scratch at the doors – LET ME OUT! My paws are bleeding. I feel weak, I think about my life – what life? I just wished my master had loved me enough to train me to become a good dog; I wish they had given me more affection and attention. I wish, I wish for a better life.
At long last, I feel strangely peaceful. All is quiet and dark. I feel no more pain.
