“So, what happens if no one claims him?”
“Once the seven days are up, assuming there are no issues with the dog’s health and assuming it isn’t aggressive or has behavioural problems, then we contact the local rescue centres to see if they can take on the animal and find it a new home. That’s when the juggling act begins, because most of the centres are already full. But as far as your stray is concerned, that’s a problem for next week, not right now, so we won’t worry about that just yet.”
“Hopefully there’s an owner out there who’ll come forward in the next seven days.”
“Hmm. Listen, love, unless you’ve got any other questions, I need to get off the phone. We’ve got nearly a dozen stray dog calls to deal with today, and we’re run off our feet.”
“Of course. Thanks for all your help.”
The warden uttered a quick goodbye and hung up before Grace could say anything else.
“So, are we okay to drive over to the boarding kennels and drop Stanley off there?” Ryan asked.
Grace nodded. “The warden said he’d phone ahead and let them know we were coming.”
She glanced towards Stanley, who was scurrying around the shrubs on the far side of the grassy verge and enjoying a good sniff. It struck her suddenly that she’d miss the little creature once he was gone. She might only have known him for twelve hours, but his sweet canine charms had given her a soft spot for the dog.
“Shall I come with you?” Ryan said, his eyes scanning her face and no doubt noticing the way she was looking at Stanley. “Just in case there are any problems?”
“If you’re sure you’ve got time?”
“Absolutely.”
Grace smiled, grateful for his company. Foolish though she knew it was, saying goodbye to Stanley wasn’t going to be easy, and she was glad to have Ryan with her for a little moral support.
