Boys versus Dogs

Last weekend I almost adopted a dog.  The girls and I had gone grocery shopping and happened upon an animal fair.  There were mobile veterinary clinics, dog obedience schools, dogs parading in Halloween costumes, and dogs waiting to be adopted.  I am sympathetic to the girl's desire for a dog.  Cassie, especially, regularly attempts to negotiate with me.  Will a clean basement earn a dog?  Will a promise to do homework immediately after school every day be enough?  What if she promises to be the one walking the dog at 5:00 a.m. every day?  So far, I have resisted because the reality is that I will be the one taking the pre-dawn walks and the one cleaning up the back yard.
 
Then, we saw this dog that was so cute.  He was a cross between a Pit Bull and some rare hunting dog that I'd never heard of before.   The woman who is fostering him described all his wonderful traits and I agreed to take him for a walk.  Although the dog nearly tore off my arm, I still thought he was pretty cute. 

I called Les and explained that the adoption fee included shots, neutering and a cage.  Les told me that he would trust me to make the right decision.  We had just put our oldest cat to sleep and a dog might be what the house needed.  Then, Les called me back and said that he still trusted me to make the right decision.  But, he wanted me to think carefully.  I took the nice doggie back to his cage, thanked the woman and got her contact information.

This week, I thought about that dog every day, wondering if I'd made the right decision.  Maybe we do need a dog around the house to keep us busy.  Cassie is gorgeous and I know it won't be that long before boys discover her.  So, maybe I should call and see if that dog was still available. . .Which did I really want hanging around the house, a stray dog or a stray boy? 

Friday evening, Cassie told me that a boy at school had written a poem about her.  "Oh, geez," I thought.  Here we go.  Where did I put the number to the animal shelter?"

Then, Cassie showed me the poem.  I heaved a tremendous sigh of relief.  I could so easily have burdened myself with a dog.    For the near future I'm safe.

Here is a reprint of the poem:


"Cassie is obnoxious.
She is really mean to me.
She beleaguers me.
She is a redhead with braces.
But, she is bad!
Her verbal attacks impale and explode my crimson heart.
Her stern look shows that she's dauntless."