Just Plain Buster
When
Buster was brought into the shelter, he was wet, matted,
and smelly. But Jimmy, who worked at the shelter, had seen
a lot of ugly, smelly dogs, and he knew what soap and water
and a good brushing could do.
“I can clean you up,” he said. “You’ll look like a million. And you’ll smell better—I hope!”
After his bath, Buster didn’t look like a million. He looked like an ordinary, brown, medium-sized mutt. But he did smell better. A lot better.
Jimmy put Buster in a cage and gave him some food and fresh water. “Now maybe someone will come along and give you a home,” he said.
Buster wanted a home. He wanted a family. He wanted a yard. Most of all, he wanted someone to love him.
A couple walked by his cage. Buster jumped up and down and scratched the door. The couple backed up. “He’s too jumpy,” they said.
A man came over to the cage. Buster curled up on his blanket and closed his eyes. “He’s no fun,” said the man. “He’s too quiet.”
A family came along—a mother, father, and three kids. What fun to live with a family like that! Buster barked and barked so they would notice him. “What a pest,” said the mother. “He’s too noisy.” They all walked away.
Another family walked by the cage. Buster whined very softly. “Oh no,” said the father. “A whiner. We don’t want a whiner.”
Other people passed by Buster.
“Too furry.”
“Too bony.”
“Don’t give up,” Jimmy said to Buster. “Someone will want you.”
The next family that came asked Jimmy to take Buster out of the cage so they could get a better look at him. Buster didn’t jump. He didn’t lie down and curl up. He didn’t bark. He didn’t whine. He hoped he didn’t look furry or bony. He stood up tall.
“He’s too big,” said the mother. She picked up her little girl. “He might scare the baby.”
When the next family came along, Buster slumped and tried to look small. “He’s too small,” said the father. “He wouldn’t be a good watchdog.”
“Sorry, Buster,” said Jimmy.
At
the end of the day another family came to the shelter—a
mother, father, and a boy. Jimmy took Buster out of the
cage for them. The boy came right over to Buster. Buster
didn’t try to look big or small. He didn’t worry about looking
furry or bony. He was just plain Buster, an ordinary, brown,
medium-sized dog.
The boy looked into Buster’s brown eyes. Buster looked into the boy’s blue eyes. The boy patted Buster on the head. “Look, Mom,” he said. “This dog is just the right size for me.”
Buster went home to a family and a yard. Best of all, he went home with someone who loved him just the way he was. Just plain Buster, an ordinary, brown, medium-sized dog.
