T
here was an old dog in the
middle of the road who seemed
lost. You could tell he had
loving owners because he looked
well-fed and he had no street sense.
The basset hound was blocking
a busy street, and everyone was
stopped. A man was able to coax
the dog out of the road with a hamAn Old Dog’s
New Trick
By Anna Heaney
south yarmouth, massachusetts*Sometimes 100 words just
aren’t enough!sandwich he had packed for his
lunch. The dog had no collar. I said
I would take him to the police sta-
tion. When I did, the police told me
they did not handle animals. They
said I would have to take him to the
pound 20 miles away. I told them
I was working and on the clock.
I asked whether they could keep the
dog until I got off work. If no one
claimed him by then, I would take
him home. They agreed. I got home
at six and called the police station.
I was overjoyed to learn that the
owners had picked up their dog.
The police said the people wanted
my name and address to send me
a thank-you note. I gave my infor-
mation, but I never expected to
hear from them. Later, I was making
dinner and heard a knock on the
door. It was the flower man holding
a large, beautiful arrangement.
The card read, “I may be old, fat,
and hard of hearing, but you were
a wonderful woman to save my life.
My small owners are relieved that I
wasn’t killed. With much love, Bar-
ney the Basset Hound.” I got flowers
from a dog! They were a perfect
centerpiece for my table. RDrd.com 17