SPENCER’S STORY
“Woof, Woof,” barked the little six month old white Westie. He wanted to play in this white stuff that they called snow. It had fallen, early this morning, all over the little town of Whitzle, Germany. His tail wagged to and fro in excitement as his little ears pointed to the sky.
After a few minutes, he heard his master, C.J., calling him. “Come boy, it’s time to come in; it’s too cold out there.”
Spencer did not want to go in just yet, but, obediently, he obeyed his master. Perhaps C.J. would play with him inside the house. Yep, he would try that, and away he went.
He bounded through the door, leaving little flakes of snow that quickly turned to water spots upon the floor. Then, he shook his body and a few wet flakes hit C.J. right on the nose as he bent down to towel dry Spencer, who trembled a little from his first adventure in the cold snow.
In a few minutes, Spencer was all dried off and feeling all cozy and warm. He could lie down and take a nap, but he wasn’t yet ready to give up on play time, so a determined little Spencer picked ball up in his mouth and nudged it against the soldier’s foot.
Smiling, the tall handsome man patted the dog’s head and threw the ball gently across the floor. In less than a minute, Spencer was back with the ball and waiting in anticipation for the ball to be thrown again. C.J. smiled, picked up the dog, giving him a big hug. This little dog had won his heart and sadness came over him as he thought what am I to do with you?
After a few minutes, C.J. put Spencer down. “I can’t play anymore right now, boy; I have lots of things to do.”
Spencer didn’t understand, but he knew that something was wrong with his master. Lying down on the floor, he watched as C.J. made a phone call, which seemed to take forever.
Spencer waited in anticipation. Maybe he will play with me some more when he stops talking on the phone.
This did not happen for C.J. finished his phone call and went outside to his car. Spencer feeling somewhat miffed and alone jumped up on the couch to look out the window.
“Woof, woof, what you doing?” barked Spencer.
He watched in terror as his master pulled a cage from the trunk of his car. Scared, the Westie began to bark in panic, “Oh, no, he is sending me away. My master doesn’t want me anymore.”
He knew about those cages, one had taken him from his mother and little brothers. He had been taken to a big store and lived in a cold cage until this master had found him. What had he done, why wasn’t he wanted anymore? Feeling dejected and alone, Spencer’s tail and ears drooped downward because now he was so very, sad and afraid.
When C.J. came in with the cage, Spencer trembled. He didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay with this master who had showed him so much kindness up to now.
“Come here, boy,” ordered the master.
Spencer hesitated, but reluctantly he responded to his master’s call and entered into the cage.
The man, now in his soldier’s uniform, tried to console the animal, but to no avail, the dog just kept trembling and no amount of petting could stop it.
“I wish I didn’t have to let you go, but it has to be this way and there is nothing I can do about it.”
Yep, I’ve had it. This is goodbye. Despite his hurt and anger, Spencer, also known as Boo Boo, put out his little tongue and licked the master’s hand as it closed the door to the cage.
This was it, this was the goodbye time.
After a long ride, to God knows where, Spencer was taken into a large place where other people and animals waited. There was a lot of noise and Spencer grew more frightened as the loud booming noise continued. He saw several giant birds; one was taking animals and people into it’s mouth and flying away. Oh my, was the big bird going to eat him too. Spencer trembled at the prospect of being eaten by the big birds. Why would his master do this to him?
The master was saying something to him, but Spencer wasn’t listening. His heart was racing and it seemed that it would burst with fear. He shivered as a man came and took him from C.J. and put him into the belly of the big bird.
Spencer waited for big teeth to chop down on him, but after a few minutes, he found that nothing bad was happening. As a matter of fact, several pretty women, called stewardess, came in and spoke to him in a very pleasing voice. As a matter of fact, they stayed with him and several other dogs while the big bird made its ghastly sound and flew off.
Finally sheer exhaustion set in and Spencer fell asleep. He was awakened by the sound and shaking of the big bird. Oh, my, was it landing, was he going to be eaten now?
The renewed trembling was soon eased when one of the pretty women came back and picked up his cage and took him out of the big bird. “Woof, woof,” barked Spencer as he thought, I’m alive.
He was taken to a place where a lot of animals, dogs and cats, yeah those mean cats were. As he waited, very much afraid of the unknown, he watched as people came and took the animals away, one by one. Spencer, in his little doggie, mind, knew that these were to be the animals new masters. He was about to give up on being taken when a pretty blonde lady walked in and he heard her asked for Spencer.
The little Westie’s ears perked up and a slight wag came to his tail. Yep, they had to be talking about him. If there was any other Spencer in there, then he would just have to wait, because he wanted to go with this pretty blonde lady known as Babs.
In no time at all, Spencer was in the lady’s car going to a new home with a big fenced in yard, where he could run and play. Wow, was he ever happy that someone would love him again, but his heart still grieved to think that his master, C.J. had stopped loving him and sent him away.
The next day, Spencer was lying in the den; his eyes glanced upward toward fireplace mantle and he shook his little head in disbelief for there was a picture of his former master, C.J. Excited, he started barking and would not stop until Babs came into the room. Seeing the reason for the entire ruckus, she picked Spencer up in her arms and said, “So, you recognize him, do you? Well, this is my son and he sent you to me so that you would have someone to take care of you while he is in Iraq.”
Spencer did not understand everything, but somehow he knew that not only did his master still love him but that he had been sent to a nice family with a Mother, a Daddy and Grandmother.
It was a long year, but C.J. returned and on that Christmas as everyone laughed, sang carols and fed Spencer a piece of turkey, he thought, Yep, I’m one lucky dog.
The End
Kathy Bunn-Schultz CC 2008
