Hunger [H.S]

September (part 3)

Frankie felt things were going well for her. She was doing great at the shelter, and as far as she knew, no one had sussed out that she was Harry's girlfriend. Gary, Sally and Andy didn't really strike her as the type of people, who followed pop culture, so she figured she was safe for now. Harry said he didn't mind that people knew his girlfriend was doing something good for society, but Frankie was scared it would change her work environment. That people might treat her differently. Or that people would start showing up at the shelter, not to help an animal find a new home, but to see her, and naively hoping that because she was there, maybe Harry would be too.

Sally was over the moon that Frankie had joined them. Frankie worked systematically and steadily through their budget and charted their expenses. She made it all easier to understand and all the chaos Gary had caused, was slowly eliminated. He was just as happy to have Frankie there, because it meant he could spend his time on what mattered the most to him; the animals. Gary was a veterinarian, and he spent most of his time providing medical care for the animals that were brought into the shelter. Some needed vaccinations, spaying, neutering, treatment for illnesses or injuries, and general health check-ups. Others were in such a poor state, that helping them was done by providing humane euthanasia as a last resort to prevent further suffering.

Andy assisted Gary with all the hands-on tasks, and he made sure they were able to offer a safe and clean environment for the animals to live in, while they waited for adoption. He made sure there was food, water, shelter, and other basic necessities. He also trained with the dogs to improve their behavior, and made sure that all the animals were petted and used to being handled. It gave them a much better chance of being adopted.

Sally was in charge of the adoptions and finding permanent, loving homes for the animals in their care. She would facilitate the screening of potential adopters to ensure they were a good fit for the specific animal. She joked that she was a pet-matchmaker, and that she could easily find the perfect pet for every person that entered the shelter. 

Frankie would spend most of her time in the office, but she made sure to come by the little dachshund every time she was there. She looked forward to checking in on him and to marvel over how fast he was growing. He wasn't up for adoption yet, and Frankie found herself letting out a sigh of relief every time she came to visit him, and there still wasn't a 'for adoption' sign on his kennel. She found that she was dreading the day she would come to say hello, and the kennel would be empty. 

As soon as she entered the dog kennels she would call out 'hello?' and she could see the little puppy waddle towards the door, ready to be picked up. He would dance around and his tiny little tail wagged. She was allowed to open the kennel, and so she did and squatted down in front of the door and held out her hands for him. He immediately came to her, and she picked him up and cuddled him. She was aware that she was getting too attached to him, but she felt they had a bond. She brought him to the office with her, and let him sleep in her lap, while she worked. He would stretch and yawn, and her heart would melt. Sometimes he would bite on her clothes, and she let him, knowing that she shouldn't, but unable to deny him the fun. She snapped a photo of him as he lay on his back in her lap sleeping, his little pink tummy unbearably cute. 

"I figured he'd be in here..." Andy was standing in the doorway looking at Frankie. He startled her, and she laughed at her own reaction. She hadn't heard him, and had no idea how long he had been watching her. 

"Yeah, I couldn't resist," she said and gently stroked the puppy's tummy. She smiled at the puppy, and looked up at Andy. "Is it a bad idea that I take him in here?" 

Andy shook his head. "No, it's fine. He's only a pup, he needs the attention and the closeness. You're very good with him. He always seems happy when you're around," he said with a small smile, holding Frankie's gaze.