Convenience+Store+Friend

=Convenience Store Friend=

I walked into a store I had never been into before and saw a puppy trotting around after customers. It looked like he was looking for his owner. He turned around when he heard the bells of the door ring as I walked in. He ran right to me. I knelled down and said “Hi little fellow!” It was then I realized he was a St. Bernard. I had researched them and always wanted one since then. He started to climb on me, so I picked him up and headed for the front counter. When I got there the lady behind the counter said “Ah, I see you have met our K-9 friend, Dustin!” “Yes, why I have, but may I ask why he is here.” “Well, we have some customers behind you, so please go ask the manager, plus I don’t know the story that well.” “Okay, in what direction is that?” She pointed to the left and said “behind the door that says “employees only” I’ll also page the manager to let him know you are coming” I headed in the direction she pointed and looked for the doors, with the puppy still in my arms. The puppy was starting to squirm, so I stroked it while I walked. The manager was waiting at the door for me. “So are you the girl that wants to know the story of this dog?” he asked me. I nodded. “Well follow me to my office, I’ll tell you the story there” “The puppy?” I asked. “I usually don‘t allow it, but what the heck, he probably can’t damage it that bad” He went through the door and I followed. It was a walk to his office, a really quiet walk too. There was a hall filled with a bunch of doors and I read on the one in the way back of the hall “manger”. “This is the room we put the puppy in at night” commented the manger as we walked by a door. We walked into the door at the end of the hall. The manger said “I never introduced myself to you; my name is Chris, and yours?” He extended a hand. “Ashleigh” I said as I shook his hand. “Take a seat” As I sat he began the story of the puppy. “I remember it as if it were yesterday. A lady walked in with a puppy, about maybe a month or two old, in her arms. She walked straight back to my office and said “I found this puppy sitting under a table in front of this store. You need to do something with this puppy or I’m bringing to the pound!” Being an animal lover I didn’t want that to happen so I said I would take it under my wing. She handed it over to me and left my office.” “Wow, strange” “The weirdest thing is, I tell all my customers, if there is a stray animal on my property report it to me immediately. There were tons of customers that day before her and no one reported it. I’m thinking she brought a puppy she owned and didn’t want it, so she came here knowing I would take it in if she threatened to take it to the pound. But back to the story. So there I said I would name him Dustin. He has wandered the store ever since. All the customers love him.” “Some story you have there. How old is he now?” “Yes, indeed it is. I was wondering, I have never seen a breed like this and don’t have the time to research it, if you know please tell me. I really want to find out some info about how to take care of it. Oh and he is four or five months old. ” “St. Bernard. I happen to have a book in my back pack about it. I just finished a report about them. If you want you can borrow it.” I handed him the book. “I’ll need it back though” “Oh thank you so much. At least for the time I have this little buddy I will know how to take care of him. I will return it to you as soon as I’m done.” “The time you have him?” I asked curiously. “Oh, once he gets older, he will be too big. I don’t want him steal food and things from the counters and shelves. So I will have to sell him, but now I have work to do so you must go” He led me to the door and I thanked him for everything. I walked back the way I came in. The puppy trotted on beside me. When I got back in to the store part I asked an attendant where the school or office supplies are. She walked me to the row and I thanked her. I searched the row for the things I needed. The puppy helped on the bottom shelves. Every time he saw something he thought was right he barked. Boy he was very smart, most of the things he barked at was what I needed. “Okay pencils, check. Tape, check. Sharpener, check. Pencil box, check. Three folders, check. Got it all!!! I’m ready to go” I said to myself. Just then an attendant walked by and asked “Why was Dustin barking?” I giggled, and then said “He was just helping me with my shopping.” “Okay, he sure love to do that.” she said and walked away. I went to the counter and checked out. I went to the door and opened it, Dustin started to whine. “Oh Dustin I’ll be back!” He stopped whining instantly after I said that. I kept coming back to see him and he kept growing. On second birthday, I came to see him. In the window was a yellow flyer. It said; = = = = = = =//Dog For Sale//= = = =//Name: Dustin//=

//Dustin is really good with children. He is house broken. He was our beloved friend of this store. We wish whoever’s hands he goes to treats him with respect.//
I walked inside and whistled. Dustin came running to the door. “Happy second birthday” I said and tossed him a bone. We went to a bench. He hopped up next to me and chewed on his bone. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you are going to move to a new home. I wish I had the money and permission to buy you but I don’t. I’m afraid we might never see each other again.” I sat there with him a while longer then went home. I told my parents about how Dustin was going to be sold to a new family. I asked if we could buy him, they said they would think about it. About a month later Dustin still hadn’t found a home and Chris was thinking about bringing him to the pound. I went to the store one day after school to see Dustin. I whistled, he didn’t come, I whistled again, the same thing happened. I went to the front desk and asked if they had sold Dustin. When she said yes my heart was crushed. I went home glum and when I got home my parents said they had a surprise for me in my room. I walked in thinking “nothing in the world would make me happy right now” When I walked in, there was Dustin, on my bed!!! He ran over to me. I gave him a great big bear hug and he gave me a sloppy kiss. I knew that he was going to very happy with his new home. Every once in a while we go back and visit where we first met.