Introduction:
SAINTS is a place where homeless animals go because no one wants to adopt them. They are old and sick or damaged and broken and they come here because they have no place else to go.
Chapter 1 "Cole thinks fireworks are bad"
I used to live in the big city and I got to run all over town. My people ignored me and let me do what I wanted, which was ok sometimes but not always.
I got hit by cars sometimes when I was running across the street, most times I only got hurt a little but sometimes I got hurt alot. Sometimes I met people who were not very nice and sometimes they hurt me too. I was always outside no matter how wet and cold it was and there were some things that really scared me out there. Fireworks and thunder storms scared me more than anything else. I hated that loud banging going off right over top of my head, it always made me run.
One day when I was running around town, I got hurt really badly. Part of my spine got broken above my tail, and I could barely walk. I can walk ok now because some nice people helped me and sent me to SAINTS and now I will live there forever. I live here forever because I still have some big problems because of that hurt and those problems will never go away.
I like living here, I get to run in the fields and I get to sometimes boss the other dogs around, they call me "The Cop" because I like to make the rules and it is my job to make sure that the rules are followed.
So...I am Cole, the cop of SAINTS. They also call me that "skulking wanna-be wolf" I think they call me that because I like to sneak around in the bushes and watch what is going on.
Anyway, I am the tough guy here and everyone knows it and they give me respect. Except one day it almost was over cuz something bad happened and it happened with all of the other dogs right there too. The only thing that saved me was that they were as scared at the time as me.
One day at SAINTS, we had this very great day. The human here was happy and not working for a change. We went for this big long walk in the field and just hung out doing whatever we liked to do. I like to skulk, I think skulking is fun and I like to skulk around where no one can see me. I was watching some dogs and the human laying around in the grass, and others were doing more active things. Copper was trying to find a way out of the fence, they call him "The Great Escape Artist." because he usually finds a way, but not any more. They stuck a big daisy around his neck and now he can't fit thru the fence. I laughed and called to him as he ran on by.... "Nice daisy Copper, you look like a fat flower with feet, why do you let them put that thing on you?"
Copper didn't even stop, he just kept right on going and I heard him as he ran past..."not my fault, the humans thought it up, it is their newest and brightest idea!"
Tyra was swimming, I think getting wet on purpose is dumb, and Dexter was chewing on a stick, now there is a real waste of time. Old Bill waddled past and said "oh, I say, nice day and hello there Cole, how do you do?" and I said "just fine Bill, thank you for asking"...I like him, he is dog who follows the rules and never causes any trouble.
That little freakoid Phoebe was running around like some kind of mad-dog, and the new hairless pitbull, whatever her name is, was foolishly running around right behind her. Lexie was laying next to the human because that is what Lexie always does and everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. It was a nice, quiet evening... until the explosion occured.
KAAAABAAAMMM! A firecracker went off right over my head. Suddenly I was running, for where I don't know, but I think I was headed for the gate and the house. BANG, BANG, BANG, all in a row...holy smoke! it sounded like we were in a war. The human just sat there and so did the deaf dogs, but the rest of us were in a full flight of fear. We all ended up at the gate together which was closed tight and too high to jump and I could feel all of our fear and panic surround me. "Where do we go?! Cole! where do we go?"... all of them were yelling at me, waiting for me to tell them and I didn't know. Suddenly I looked back at the human who was still just sitting there in the grass, she said it was ok and don't be scared...WHAT???? is she is deaf like those dogs still over there? I ran back to her and i buried my face in her lap and I BEGGED her to please take me home. She laughed but she got up and called all the other dogs and told us we were fine and not to be afraid. Easy for her to say.
Listen, anything that makes a big noise like that, is something to be afraid of if you ask me. And just because she doesn't realize this, doesn't mean that the rest of us are missing parts of our survival brains. We know those kind of really big noises mean trouble and run.
She took us all home and put us in the house and closed all the doors and the windows. She turned on all the lights and all the TV's real loud and she stayed with us til the banging finally stopped and went away.
Even a tough guy like me can get scared. And I will always be afraid of that noise. I know that somehow it is humans that make it and that is why they are never afraid. But they should think about the others who can't make that noise and about how much it scares them and makes them try to run far away. If that gate hadn't been closed and if that human hadn't been with us, we all would have been running loose to get away from that noise. Maybe one of us would have been hit by a car again or gotten lost or anything bad could have happened.
If I was a human I would make it a rule that causing big noisy explosions in the air was bad, some poor animal could get hurt and I would bite anyone who tried to break that rule too!
I am Cole, and I have lived outside for most of my life and I got hurt lots of times when I lived out there all by myself. And I am afraid of very loud banging things and I think humans should stop making that noise and I know I am right about this too, setting off loud scary fireworks is stupid and pointless and it scares alot of animals and it should be against everyone's rules.