can tell all of that from just a look?”
Aaron looked up at him with a smile. “No. I can narrow it down, but I need to evaluate any potential candidates. This shelter has a room set aside for potential adopters, so we can do it there.”
Aaron moved on, and Shane followed. He tried to provide his inexpert opinion, pointing out dogs that seemed to fit Aaron’s criteria, but none of them passed muster.
They’d made it through almost the entire circuit before Aaron took an interest in another dog. Shane had started to lose hope, and he tried not to let himself think this was the one, but the dog looked up at him with warm brown eyes. Its tail wagged lazily, and its tongue lolled to one side almost like it was smiling at him.
“She seems to like you,” Aaron said.
It wasn’t the crazy exuberance some of the dogs had shown, jumping up on their kennels and begging for his attention. But he was right. This dog did seem to like him. She hadn’t taken her eyes off him since they’d approached, as if she was trying to communicate beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was supposed to choose her.
“What’s your name, sweet girl,” Shane said, crouching down.
He remembered himself then, glancing to Aaron first. Aaron just nodded with a smile.
“It’s fine. You can and should be affectionate with your own dog.”
Shane put his hand up to the cage, and the dog licked his palm.
“Her name’s Buttercup. She’s a little over three years old. Ah, this is sad. She had an elderly owner who passed away. The dog was found three days after she passed.”
“That’s fucking morbid. Though… Buttercup? Really?”
The dog wagged her tail.
“I think it’s cute. She looks like a Buttercup.”
Shane squinted dubiously. “‘Buttercup’” was some kind of yellow lab mix, from what he could tell. Her coat was short, and most of it was that yellowish tan. She had white around her muzzle and on her belly, leading up to her chest. White socks covered her feet, and her tail was tipped in white, too.
Maybe Buttercup was a decent name after all.
“That white looks like boxer markings,” Aaron said. “Wonder if she’s part boxer.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“They can be high energy, but if she had an elderly owner, she’s likely okay.” He glanced up at Shane. “What do you think?”
“I like her so far.”
He’d only had a passing interest in the other dogs. This one was the first to really grab his attention.
“Let me just run up to the front and let them know, and we’ll take her to a side room.”
Aaron left, but Shane stayed crouched in front of Buttercup’s kennel. He reached his fingers through the chain link, and she put her side up against it to be stroked.
“Sorry about your owner,” he said. “I can’t promise I’ll be as good as she was. I guess if things work out the way they’re supposed to, I’ll be leaning on you a lot. But I’ll do my best to give you a good home.”
She wagged her tail harder, made a whining noise in the back of her throat, and bumped her head up against Shane’s fingers, forcing him to pet her.
Aaron came back soon after with a slip lead in hand.
“They think Buttercup has her shots, but if she’s a good fit, she’ll need to be checked out by a vet.”
Shane rose, moving out of the way so Aaron could open the kennel. Buttercup wagged her way right on out, but Aaron was quick to slip the lead around her neck. He handed the other end to Shane.
“This way.”
Shane clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and Buttercup walked with him to a room that was kept away from the main kennel area. It was quieter there, and even more so once the door was shut.
While it was a small room, it did have a bench on one side, a crate of toys, a dog bed, and a water bowl.
“Let me see her for a sec,” Aaron said, and Shane handed over the lead. “Sit on the bench and try to call her to you.”
Shane did as he was told, and before he’d even
Aaron looked up at him with a smile. “No. I can narrow it down, but I need to evaluate any potential candidates. This shelter has a room set aside for potential adopters, so we can do it there.”
Aaron moved on, and Shane followed. He tried to provide his inexpert opinion, pointing out dogs that seemed to fit Aaron’s criteria, but none of them passed muster.
They’d made it through almost the entire circuit before Aaron took an interest in another dog. Shane had started to lose hope, and he tried not to let himself think this was the one, but the dog looked up at him with warm brown eyes. Its tail wagged lazily, and its tongue lolled to one side almost like it was smiling at him.
“She seems to like you,” Aaron said.
It wasn’t the crazy exuberance some of the dogs had shown, jumping up on their kennels and begging for his attention. But he was right. This dog did seem to like him. She hadn’t taken her eyes off him since they’d approached, as if she was trying to communicate beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was supposed to choose her.
“What’s your name, sweet girl,” Shane said, crouching down.
He remembered himself then, glancing to Aaron first. Aaron just nodded with a smile.
“It’s fine. You can and should be affectionate with your own dog.”
Shane put his hand up to the cage, and the dog licked his palm.
“Her name’s Buttercup. She’s a little over three years old. Ah, this is sad. She had an elderly owner who passed away. The dog was found three days after she passed.”
“That’s fucking morbid. Though… Buttercup? Really?”
The dog wagged her tail.
“I think it’s cute. She looks like a Buttercup.”
Shane squinted dubiously. “‘Buttercup’” was some kind of yellow lab mix, from what he could tell. Her coat was short, and most of it was that yellowish tan. She had white around her muzzle and on her belly, leading up to her chest. White socks covered her feet, and her tail was tipped in white, too.
Maybe Buttercup was a decent name after all.
“That white looks like boxer markings,” Aaron said. “Wonder if she’s part boxer.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“They can be high energy, but if she had an elderly owner, she’s likely okay.” He glanced up at Shane. “What do you think?”
“I like her so far.”
He’d only had a passing interest in the other dogs. This one was the first to really grab his attention.
“Let me just run up to the front and let them know, and we’ll take her to a side room.”
Aaron left, but Shane stayed crouched in front of Buttercup’s kennel. He reached his fingers through the chain link, and she put her side up against it to be stroked.
“Sorry about your owner,” he said. “I can’t promise I’ll be as good as she was. I guess if things work out the way they’re supposed to, I’ll be leaning on you a lot. But I’ll do my best to give you a good home.”
She wagged her tail harder, made a whining noise in the back of her throat, and bumped her head up against Shane’s fingers, forcing him to pet her.
Aaron came back soon after with a slip lead in hand.
“They think Buttercup has her shots, but if she’s a good fit, she’ll need to be checked out by a vet.”
Shane rose, moving out of the way so Aaron could open the kennel. Buttercup wagged her way right on out, but Aaron was quick to slip the lead around her neck. He handed the other end to Shane.
“This way.”
Shane clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and Buttercup walked with him to a room that was kept away from the main kennel area. It was quieter there, and even more so once the door was shut.
While it was a small room, it did have a bench on one side, a crate of toys, a dog bed, and a water bowl.
“Let me see her for a sec,” Aaron said, and Shane handed over the lead. “Sit on the bench and try to call her to you.”
Shane did as he was told, and before he’d even
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