A Time for Tye

         Daylight punched through Jacob’s bedroom window causing him to shoot up and out of his bed like a circus performer exploding from a cannon. With the speed of Jacob’s awakening, came his despair.  For Jacob had just realized that all of his friends had gone away for the summer holiday. 



         Jacob sulked to the kitchen.  His pity was temporarily halted by the smell of his father making fresh pancakes and sausage.  The smells danced beautifully in Jacob’s nostrils.  He suddenly recalled his dilemma as he plopped down at the kitchen table.  He lazily turned to his mother and whined, “I’m bored!”  His mother asked, “Would you like to play with me?”  Like the sound of an angry mountain lion, Jacob roared, “No!”  I’m tired of playing the same old games!  I want to play with something new!” demanded Jacob. 



         With remarkable clarity, Jacob realized what he wanted. The image in his mind’s eye was almost real.  For a moment, he was almost certain that he could lift his little hands up into the air and snatch the picture.  “I want a dog!” proclaimed Jacob.  Both of his parents gasped and turned to him. 

         In unison, they both chorused, “A dog is a lot of responsibility.  It needs to be fed, walked, exercised, and loved.” 

         Jacob stood straight and tall and proclaimed loudly, “I can do all of that!”  His father continued to lecture, “A dog needs love and care every day.

          Even if there is something else that you would rather do, your dog must come first.” 

         “Oh pleasey cheesy, Mom and Dad!  I want to run and frolic with my dog!” 

         His parents looked at each other, smiled, and finally said, “You may have a dog, but remember the promise that you made.” 



         Jacob’s mother suggested looking for puppies in the local newspaper.  As they searched through the classified ads, they were surprised to see all of the puppies that were for sale.  “Wow,” Jacob’s mother said to his father, “there are a lot of purebred dogs for sale.  They don’t cost as much as I expected.” 

         With a somber look on his face, Jacob’s father replied,  “I have heard that many people over breed their animals.  Dogs that have too many puppies can become unhealthy.  I wonder if something is wrong with these dogs.” 



         The next morning Jacob’s father went off to work.  Jacob and his mother called a breeder from the local newspaper, ambled to their car, and were quickly off on their adventure to find a puppy.  When they arrived at the breeder’s house, they were surprised to see such a muddle.  Many dangerous objects were scattered all over the ground that could hurt the mother dog and her puppies.  “Mom, why don’t these people take better care of their dogs?”  inquired Jacob. 

         His mother looked very sad and replied, “Honey, not everyone loves and respects animals the way that we do.  I don’t think that we should get one of these puppies.” 

         “But Mom,” Jacob squealed, “we could give one of these puppies a loving home.”           “No Jacob,” said his mother sternly.  “If we buy one of these puppies, these people will think that it is acceptable to allow dogs to live like this.  I know where we can go.” 



         Jacob’s mother took him to their local animal shelter.  “There are lots of dogs here that need a wonderful boy like you!” exclaimed his mother.  The two embraced each other, held hands, and walked inside.  As soon as Jacob saw Mary, the caretaker, he screamed with excitement, “I want a puppy!” 

         Mary chuckled and replied, “Well, I think we have just what you’re looking for.”



         Mary led Jacob and his mother into the kennel area of the animal shelter.  Tears welled up in Jacob’s eyes as he stared at the rows and rows of dogs.  He thought that he could see tears in the dogs’ eyes as well.  The smell coming from the cages was horrible!  He knew that dogs had a better sense of smell than people do and wondered if it bothered them even more than it bothered him.  The dogs were barking and jumping at their kennels trying to get out.  “Mom, why are all of these dogs in jail?” questioned Jacob. 

         “These dogs aren’t in jail,” replied his mother.  “Their old families didn’t want them any more, so now Miss Mary takes care of them.” 

         Jacob turned towards Mary and asked, “How many dogs do you take care of, Miss Mary?”

          She replied, “There are over 500 dogs and cats here.”  Jacob couldn’t believe what he had just heard. 

         “Is this the only shelter there is?”           Great pain swept over Mary’s face as she said, “Unfortunately, there are shelters all over the United States.”           “How many does the United States have?  asked Jacob.

         “Sadly, there are 6-8 million dogs and cats that are dropped off at animal shelters every year.”  This is only one shelter out of thousands.  Jacob no longer gazed into Ms. Mary’s eyes, but instead put his head down and became very quiet.



         A few moments later Jacob lifted his head and asked, “Mom, how do I pick a dog?”

         Before his mother could answer, Mary replied, “I like to say that the person doesn’t pick the dog.  The dog picks the person.”  Jacob wasn’t really sure what that meant, but he kept looking anyway.  He walked up to this sleepy little puppy.  He looked up at Jacob, stretched his little body, wagged his little tail, and drawled, “owww, owww, owww.” 

         Jacob smiled and said, “I think this little puppy just picked me.  What kind is it?” asked Jacob. 

         Mary said, “This is a boxer.  They are very energetic and silly dogs.  They are wonderful family pets.” 

         Jacob’s mother let out a heartfelt laugh, “I love boxers!  I had one when I was a child.”



         “Jacob, where will you keep your new puppy?” asked Mary. 

         “I don’t know,” said Jacob.  Looking a little perplexed, he replied, “I didn’t really think about it.”

         Mary’s face went from a beautiful smile to a very stern expression.  “It is very important that you treat your pet the way that you would like to be treated.  That includes where he spends his days when you’re at school right down to where he sleeps at night.”            Jacob’s mother responded, “Our dog will be a part of our family.  He’ll be outside when we’re outside and inside when we’re inside.” 

          Mary beamed and said, “Excellent!  I think that you will make wonderful pet owners.” 



         Jacob carefully picked up his new puppy and brought him home.  The puppy slept for most of the drive and seemed to lighten up when he reached his new home.  “What do you want to name your puppy?” asked his mother. 

         “I would like to name him Tye,” beamed Jacob.

          “Tye is a fine name,” said his mother. 

         Jacob turned to his new puppy and asked, “Would you like your new name to be…”  Before Jacob could finish his question, the excited puppy pounced on Jacob’s chest and licked his face.  He chuckled, “I guess you like your new name!  Tye it is.”



         Later that night Jacob turned to his mother and reflected, “Mom, I want to help the other dogs that are at the animal shelter.”

          His mother thought for a moment and replied, “I read a sign that said volunteers are needed.”

         “What are bolunteers?” asked Jacob. 

         “Not bolunteers, volunteers.  They’re people that help, but they don’t get paid for it,” said his mother.

          “I am going to be a bolunteer, I mean volunteer, and help as many dogs as I can!” exclaimed Jacob.



         From that point on, Jacob could be found at the animal shelter helping to wash and walk the dogs every Saturday while the rest of his friends watched cartoons and played video games.  Every weekend, Jacob left the animal shelter with dog prints on his clothes and a sense of pride that seemed a mile long.  Jacob may have been small, but his impact at the animal shelter was HUGE!  Most importantly, he learned that adopting a dog from the animal shelter helped to give Tye a second chance at a happy life.  Will you think about adopting a dog or cat and giving them a second chance at a happy life?