“My thoughts exactly.”
We study the old farmhouse for a moment, then exchange a smile and continue on.
Isla takes out her phone and checks it. “Text from Stefan. He says both the vet nurses who were off sick yesterday are back, so it should be a less stressful day.”
“Oh well that’s good. He’ll probably get you helping out in the Hotel.”
“Yeah, I enjoyed that yesterday.”
Chatting away, we reach the Ark and part ways, agreeing to catch up at lunch. Isla goes off to the clinic, and Max comes with me to check on the dogs in the Forever Home.
Jude’s just finishing up his report for his night shift in the office. Leaving him to it, I take Max into the barn.
We start at one end, making sure the dogs have water and giving them their breakfast.
“Careful,” I say as I let a Rottweiler out of her cage. I hold her collar as Max approaches her. The kid’s good with dogs, but the last thing I would want is for Max to be hurt by one who’s been mistreated. “Offer her your hand, and if she growls, move back, okay?”
He nods and holds out his hand, dropping to his knees in front of her. The dog sniffs him, then licks his hand, and she’s quite happy when he strokes her head. He definitely has a gift.
“Why is she here?” he asks.
“The owners ditched her on the side of a road. A couple of holidaymakers in a camper van hit her when she ran out at them. They managed to get her into the van and brought her to the Ark. She wasn’t badly hurt, luckily.”
“She’s quite fat,” Max says, running his hand down her side.
“She’s going to have pups soon. It’s probably why her owners abandoned her.”
“Why wouldn’t they want the puppies?”
“They might have felt they couldn’t cope with them.”
“Why didn’t they try to find someone else to look after her?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “I never understand why people abandon animals, but it happens a lot.”
He strokes her head, and she nuzzles his palm. “Will you be able to find her another home soon?”
“Yes. The Ark has an app. We put the dogs on it, and people who want a rescue dog can go on there and put forward an application. We check them out and make sure they’ve never been reported for hurting other animals. Then they come and look at the dog, and if they look like a good match, they can take it home.”
“And she’s on the app?”
“Yep. Jude took some photos of her yesterday and posted them, and we’ve already had two applications, so I’m sure as soon as she’s had her pups, she’ll go to her new home.”
“What about her puppies?”
“We’ll find them homes too.”
He scratches her ear. “Jude was grumpy this morning.”
“Yeah. He often is.”
“Why?”
“Maybe because he’s on night shift.”
“I don’t like him much,” Max says.
“Well I’m grumpy all the time, so I guess you don’t like me much either.”
