A Special Day

A few days later, as Matt lay in his kennel thinking about some funny dog jokes, he heard the footsteps of a family as they entered the shelter. He smelled the perfume of a woman, the odor of a man, and the innocence of children. He listened as Barry opened some cages to show the family a few of the dogs.

“One of them will get picked and I will be happy for them,” thought Matt. “After all, every dog and owner has already been matched before they even meet.” He could hear the family getting closer to his cage but he didn't move. While he had faith, he had also learned not to get his hopes up.

He stayed curled up with his head down until he felt the hand of a little boy reach into his cage and touch the top of his paw. “This one, Daddy,” the boy yelled as the parents followed their son to Matt's cage. The man and woman peered into the cage to look at Matt, who decided it was time to stand up and share a smile to brighten their day.

“You like this one?” the dad said to his son.

“Yes, Daddy,” the boy said.

Barry took Matt out of his kennel and gave him to the boy who held Matt in his arms. Matt smiled, looked into the boy's eyes, and looked cute as ever, keeping still except for his wagging tail.

“He's not too big and not too little,” the boy said.

“He's just right,” the mom said, as she lifted Matt from her son's arms and held him in her own. Matt never felt anything like it. He didn't know how to describe it, but it felt like … love.

Then, Matt heard the words he had always dreamed of hearing: “Well take him,” the mom said before handing Matt to the boy's older sister.

She looked into Matt's eyes, kissed him on his nose, and said, “I already love you,” to which Matt replied, “I've always loved you and I've been waiting for you.”

“Let's take him home,” the dad said as they walked towards Barry's office to sign the papers. As the family walked towards their car with Matt in the little girl's arms, he couldn't believe it was really happening. He had become a positive dog, fed others, made a difference in the shelter, and now it was time to go home.