OutLook Press Animal Crackers

It felt like he had been running for days. Grady's massive sides heaved as he galloped through the streets, desperate to find home. He felt an sense of responsibility and urgency he had never known before. Not only had Tyler entrusted him with finding Mom, but Tucker's life depended on it.
Animal Crackers

Feeling absolute panic, Grady approached the corner and slowed to a trot, sniffing the ground and looking in bewilderment to the myriad of street signs that pointed to directions he simply didn't know. Silent desperation crept up his throat as he looked from sign to sign, trying to make sense of the letters. "Why didn't I pay attention when Mom would take us out in the car," he thought. "I'm going to screw this up and my little bubby is going to die . . . all because I didn't pay attention and I can't read!" With that, he sat down and simply howled with frustration.

"Hey, big guy! Hold it down over there! Can't you see my baby's trying to sleep?"

Whirling about, Grady gazed upon the most beautiful female Dobe he had ever seen, lying in the shade under a big oak tree. Perched atop her was a tiny, little pup . . . fast asleep with a belly full of warm milk.

Wiping his nose with a huge paw, Grady began to stammer out an apology. "Ma'am, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was around. I didn't mean to bother you," he said as he turned to go.

"Wait a minute, big guy. You seem awful upset," the momma Dobe said. "Why don't you sit down for a second, catch your breath, get a drink of water here and tell me what's wrong? Maybe I can help."

"But you don't understand! If I don't find my Momma, my baby brother is going to die and it'll be all my fault!" Grady wailed.

"Shhh . . . child! I know your situation is dire, but you are definitely in need of help," she said. "Just give yourself a few minutes and tell me what is going on. It's not gonna do you any good if you collapse in the street, now is it?"

Grady pondered his grave situation. He was lost and didn't know what to do, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to actually seek the counsel of this evidently wise Dobe. What did he have to lose?

Biting back tears, he stammered, "Well, you see, my baby kitty brother, Tucker, was beaten up by a coupla mean dogs. Tyler, my older bubby, our little friend, Missy, and I were trying to take him home so Momma could take him to the vet. But Tyler said he felt we were doing more damage to Tucker by running with him, than if they stayed behind with Tucker and one of us went ahead to find Mom. I volunteered to go get Momma, but now I'm lost and I don't know how to get home. I'm not gonna make it in time and it'll be all my fault 'cause Tucker'll die and all 'cause I couldn't find my way home! It'll be all my fault!!!"

With that, Grady dissolved in a godawful howl of anguish. His body shook with massive sobs as he collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"There, there, big guy," she said, trying to console the distraught puppy. "I know everything looks dire, but I think I can help you."

Grady dared a peek at her from his view on the ground. "Do you really? Can you help me find my way home?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, to be honest, I think I've heard of you guys through the grapevine. If I'm not mistaken, you're the huge puppy that's a big wienie, right? Your "little" brother beats you up regularly?"

Chagrined, Grady ducked his head. "Um . . . yeah, that's me." How humiliating! He'd never live this one down!

Grinning, the Momma Dobe nudged him with her nose. "Ah, come on, big guy . . . I was just trying to make you smile. Good news is, I do know where you live and it really isn't too far from here. But as you can see, I can't leave at the moment since my baby is still asleep. However, if you listen really carefully, I can give you some directions that will take you to a house and from there, another friend will help you find your way home."

Listening carefully, Grady focused intently on the directions the Momma Dobe doled out. It seemed like it was a million turns, rights and lefts, but by gosh, he was going to make it home if it was the last thing he'd ever do!

Meanwhile, the situation with Tucker was becoming more grim as the moments passed. Missy had simply exhausted herself with the mud-pack fix they temporarily come up with, and Tyler was worn out from the worry of it all. Tucker's Tyler

belabored breathing grew more shallow as time passed, and they both began to wonder if all their effort was for naught.

"Missy," Tyler began. "You know, I've never really thought about my own place in life until this very moment. It's always been my job to make sure Mom is okay, that my baby brothers are okay even though I'd never tell them that . . . to just make sure everyone is taken care of properly. That's what I was meant to do in life. I never worried much about what will happen to Mom when I'm gone."

"But with this vicious attack on Tucker, simply because someone heard that Momma was gay . . . well, it gives me pause to wonder how effectively I protect anyone, you know, let alone when I am gone? What did this senseless attack prove to anyone? How can someone attack an innocent person simply because they or their loved one is gay?"

Tyler broke off, simply consumed by the grief and frustration that he felt in the situation.

"Tyler, I can't make any sense of it either. You know, I always thought that we in the animal kingdom were above such senseless violence. I mean, we watch humans beat up and murder each other all the time because someone is gay, black, or just different . . . for love, money, and power. They can justify their violent actions regardless of how horrific they are."

She paused to gather her thoughts, "But the bottomline is nothing justifi Missy

es the harm inflicted upon someone simply because they are different. It is simply beyond me how someone can even try to justify that!"

Tyler shook his head in agreement. He had been on this earth 10-1/2 years and during that time, he had witnessed a variety of violent acts on that thing Mom called a television. Brandon Teena shot dead in a farm house because he was transgendered . . . James Byrd Jr. tortured and beheaded simply because he was black . . . Billy Jack Gaither burned to death because he was homosexual . . . Mathew Shepherd left for dead on a fence because he was gay. All because they were different and someone decided they didn't need to exist anymore.

"Missy, what scares me the most is how can I protect my Momma from the same fate?" She lives a good, clean life and doesn't bother anyone. But neither did Tucker. He was minding his own business and those thugs just decided to tear him apart. How can I protect Mom from someone who suddenly decides that she doesn't have the right to be who she is?"

Looking up, Missy said, "You know, Tyler, I just don't know the answer to that. All we can do is do the best we can to protect our humans and in the meantime, pray that things in this world change. Maybe not in our lifetime, but the next our humans will be able to live openly and without fear."

Suddenly a tiny sound interrupted their reverie. Wheeling about, Missy and Tyler ran to where they had laid poor Tucker. His paws were fluttering wildly, and a tiny mewling was coming from his mouth. Missy scooted on her belly, getting as close as she could near the broken kitten, and softly called his name, "Tucker . . . can you hear me?"

Tyler peered anxiously at the little black ball of fur. "Tucker . . . hey, little brother. It's Tyler . . . I'm here buddy."

With great effort, Tucker struggled to open his mouth. A whisper of sound emerged, but no one could understand him. Exhorting him to try again, Tyler bent down even closer and put his ears next to Tucker's tiny mouth. His ears snapped to attention as he began to understand the whispered sounds emerging from Tucker.

Tyler suddenly bolted straight up and looked at Missy with a determination she had never seen! "Missy, I don't have time to explain! I have to go! Watch Tucker until Grady gets back and get him to the vet at all costs! I'll be back when I can!"

With that, he sprinted off, leaving a cloud of dust and confusion to cover Missy. Bewildered, all she could think was, "Now what?!"