the cramps

Dog Walks

Simon was the second to last puppy to leave the animal shelter. The reason why. He had short fur. Other adoptees wanted puppies with fur that could reach the floor. To me, Simon was the cutest of them all, so I took him. I tucked him under my oversized sweater to stop the rain from touching his short rough fur and drove to our home. An apartment where the landlord only allowed one small pet. Luckily, Simon was small and plump. He barked sporadically, sneezed excessively, and followed me throughout the house. When I arrived from work, he stepped on his food dish to ask for food and drank water so fast he had trouble breathing. He never learned to stop barking at people when we went on walks. Small children would run, crying, to their mothers when they heard Simon. Grown-ups would walk on the grass and cover their ears to stop Simon from becoming a part of their life, even if just for a second.

Now, Simon is almost four years old and gaining weight. With his temper we only go on walks when no
one is around, early 6:00 am and 11:00 pm, usually. He once barked at a pitbull who got so mad that he
attacked Simon and sent him to the E. R. Wounds did not stop Simon from barking at the E. R. veterinarian. The back of his fur stood up when he sensed the threat of the vet approaching. Gums appeared inside the muzzle I placed on him. After the surgery, Simon barked worse than ever. He barked at mice inside the walls and cars parked on the street. I think he has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and I am convinced he will never change. I bet Simon thinks he’s a large dog similar to a pitbull, lion, or possibly a bear. But he’s not, he’s a small, plump dog with a temper.