

Once upon a time there was a small puppy; a beautiful Rottweiler with soft fur, a long tail, and big droopy ears. This puppy lived on the streets, her mother having been caught by Animal Control just weeks after her birth. The puppy always longed to be with others of her kind and searched for a pack of her own but after wandering on her own for so long she began to lose hope. Every animal she encountered she would ask the same question: “Do you know where I can find others like me?” but no one yet had ever been able to help her.

One cold winter day she came across a pair of stray cats rummaging in a trash can for food. “Do you know where I can find others like me?” she asked. The cats responded “I’ve never seen anything like you!” and left the poor puppy alone. The puppy finally gave up hope of finding a pack and began wandering around, joining groups of animals as she found them, trying her best to change herself to fit in, and leaving them when she felt she had worn out her welcome or she was unable to pretend to be someone else. They were normally kind to her but she never felt as if she truly belonged.

One day, she was laying in the park beneath a large tree and a big black dog came up to her, sniffing her from afar at first and then coming closer. The puppy was worried at first that this would just be another short-lived acquaintance but she remained where she was and allowed herself to be sniffed. The big dog got close enough that the puppy could sniff her for a moment before slipping away slowly. After the big dog left the puppy thought she would never see her again but she remained near the tree just in case her new friend returned.

The next day, the big dog did return and stayed longer then the day before; they even spoke a little. The following day the big dog stayed even longer still. Over time, the big dog and the puppy talked about anything and everything, hiding no secrets from one another. Then one day, the big dog said something the puppy thought she would never hear: “Would you like to meet my pack?”

The puppy was overjoyed but cautious and followed the big dog to where the rest of her pack was. The puppy was quite shy but after meeting the pack and seeing how happily they interacted she decided to get to know them better. As she got to know them she began to realize that she had found the pack, the family, that she had longed for. She loved each member of the pack as if they had been born in the same litter and discovered that she could be just who she truly was and still be loved by others.