[Athena] *nose-nudges blog* Hey, what’s this? Can we play here, ya think?

[Apollo] *sniffs around* Smells kinda musty. What is that? Tastes moldy. I’m gonna eat it.

[Athena] Hey, can I have…never mind – I’ll just clean up these crumbs over here. This couch smells like Murphy. I liked him. We were best buddies, but he left one day and didn’t come back. J said he died. I was sad. And lonely when J and B had to go to work and leave me. So then…what are you chewing on now?

[Apollo] Don’t know, but it’s crunchy. I like crunching stuff. It’s fun. Feels good on my teeth.

[Athena] J says you shouldn’t chew up so much stuff. She says you chew more than I did when they brought me home. But I was already two or three. You get in way more trouble than me. And that’s saying something. Probably why J kept saying she didn’t want a puppy. But here you are.

[Apollo] Yeah, but I’m ‘dorable. And super-smart. I learned “down” before you. She said I’ll behave better in another year or so, when I’m two. Her eyes moved funny when she said that. It was right after I killed another chunk of the toy basket while she was in the kitchen. That really had a nice crunch. I wish she would have let me finish it off.

[Athena] Remember how you used to counter surf with me when you got here? Those were good times. So much running and playing and spreading stuff all over the house while the humans were gone. You even took a literal bite out of the in-law’s tax docs! That was classic.

[Apollo] I remember that envelope – it tasted weird. But that bite was perfect. I’m pretty proud of that. What’s that other dog-smell? Not your friend, but the older, more faint one?

[Athena] Probably Mica – Murphy’s friend before I came here. He died about a year and a half ago, and that’s when they brought me home. I was on the run before that…there was a family that tried to take care of me, but…well…there’s a reason J nicknamed me “Cyclone Athena”.

[Apollo] You are kind of a twister when we get to playing. I lived in a hotel before I came here, and sometimes went to one of those boarding centers when my previous owner had to work. Everyone loved me…’cept that time when I ate through two doors at a friend’s house. But I just didn’t want to be left alone. I don’t know why people think they can just…leave when they want to. Sheesh! How are we supposed to protect ’em if we can’t see ’em?

[Athena] *arooo!* You are so right! J says we’d be bored if we came to work with her, but I disagree. I think we’d have a lot of fun. Think how much more stuff we’d find to chew on and spread around!

[Apollo] I think that ‘spreading stuff around’ thing might be why we have to stay in our wire rooms now while J and B are gone. Well, that and the Bob Ross bobble-head doll. And the couch cushion. I don’t really get what the big deal was though. They just put the stuffing back in and put that duck tape over the holes. It was totally fixable.

[Athena] At least we get good snacks. But I do miss looking out the window during the day. And I really can’t stand being cooped up when those nasty thunderboomers go by outside. Hopefully you’ll grow up and we can stay out again in a few months.

[Apollo] It wasn’t just me, you know. J says you’re just as bad an influence on me as I am on you. ‘Specially when we’re walking and you get all barky with other dogs. Hey, when’s lunch? I’m starving.

[Athena] Me too! Let’s go raid the kitchen. It’s Sunday, so there’s probably bacon if we have to wait for lunch. Wanna come back here next week? We can talk about the bunny fortress, and how to break in.

[Apollo] Yeah! That long-eared fuzz-bucket’s days are numbered! Mmm…bacon…

---

Like these posts? Consider a donation to your local animal shelter, or feel free to send a gift to one of our favorites!
Donate to The Rimrock Humane Society
Donate to Help for Homeless Pets
Donate to Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter