Angel Dog

25 Finn 🐾 Familiar Face

"There's one! Maybe it'll be today," Finn said with an eager glance over at his larger brown-and-white brother.

Copper reciprocated with a tail-wag, his huge brown eyes looking up and through the cage while humans arrived.

It was the day of an adoption event, and the pups had never seen one. However, they knew something exciting was going on, because people of all ages flitted throughout the large halls of the kennel rows.

There was Christmas lights strung all around the walls, casting them aglow with all colors of the rainbow. They reflected the light of the other two puppies' eyes, as they stood beside Finn.

Lavender, however, looked less hopeful. She kept casting glances backwards and towards the dog bed, as if she wanted to just go lay down.

"It's okay, Lavender. Someone will stop by soon. Remember that old man? He liked you a lot!" Finn chimed, ever so positive. He liked to uplift the other puppies, make them feel happier and stronger about themselves.

Copper nodded with eyes full of longing agreement, but the black and white she-pup was already shaking her head.. As per usual.

"No, it's not that." Lavender leveled her gaze with theirs, her tail still.

"I just don't want to get adopted. I don't want to change my name. My name's not Hannah." She looked at them, a challenge smoldering in her fiery-brown gaze. "And you know that you aren't Buster and Odie." Her voice was skeptical, even a bit condescending.

Finn stopped his own tail wagging with Copper's. Silence fell upon them, but humans still talked and laughed beyond the fence. They still walked, shambled or skipped along, some with saggy faces, round faces, some short or tall. Some grasped child's toys in their hands, others grasped canes or walkers. It was hard not to pay attention to them, as one walked by particularly close- but then they swept on, uninterested.

Finally Finn dragged his gaze back to Lavender, biting his tongue. Lavender can be such a tail-biter sometimes. She makes it worse by not accepting it.

After a deep breath, Finn responded, "It's alright, Lavender. You know, you don't have to accept your new name. Maybe you will in time."

He looked to the fluffy brown-and-white Copper for approval, and the taller puppy agreed with a nod. He was the spitting image of Bronx, ears and muzzle darker brown with a splash of white across the male's chest.

"Why would I?" The black-and-white pup said with a scornful, yet sad bark before she turned away. However, she kept speaking over her shoulder while she retreated. The white tip of her tail was a splash of white against her dark pelt.

"My mother would have wanted me to keep the name she gave me. And I will," the she-dog scoffed with an unimpressed glance from afar. "Even if you guys don't care for your mother's opinion as much as I did mine."

Stung, Finn shuffled his paws while his face burned.

"That's not it!" Copper, now renamed Odie, shot her a nervous glance.

It was still odd to Finn how Copper was the biggest, yet most skittish puppy out of their litter. Either way, he loved the nervous male pup.

And unfortunately...- his brother was the only one left to love.

My whole family is gone. Besides Copper- I mean, Odie.

"It's just that we want to accept our new life because this is what mother wanted. She brought Finn here to be with me, and we're going to get adopted together."

Finn shot his kin an approving glance with shining brown eyes.

"Yep!" He yipped loudly, towards the she-dog's retreating tail. "And you should get adopted too, Lavender...!" He kept watching, hopeful that she might turn around and join them at the fence again.