Two Months ago, I went to one of those off-leash dog parks that have forested areas, as well as open fields with tall grass. It was later in the day, and my dog and I were playing fetch as we walked down the dirt path back to the car. We were about one hundred feet from it, so I threw the ball one last time into the open plain to our left. I watched as the blur of brown fur darted towards the tall grass. I peered over my shoulder at the field noticing my dog hadn't shown up anywhere near the parking lot. Now I'm not muscular in any way, shape, or form, so I can't throw very far. I called out towards where I threw the ball. I heard what sounded like barking from behind me (maybe 50 yards or so), but where I was looking was just more parking lot. No dogs were in sight, so I decided to go through the grass and find my dog. As I turned around there my dog was, sitting right in front of me. He didn't have his ball, but we had been there for four hours, and I just wanted to go home.

The next few weeks went by as usual with the exception of how much my dog was eating. Normally my dog would be fine with 4 cups of dog food a day (he's a large German Shepard), but instead he would act extremely aggressive when he didn't receive at least a third of the kibble a day. I'm just a twenty-something year old woman in college working at a nearby Starbucks, I don't make enough money to need more than two bags of dog food a week. I also had to buy a brand-new collar for my dog since in somehow got lost during the day at the park. I had to work overtime and move apartments. I would have gone to the vet for my dog, but I can't risk any high expenses.

Since last week, my dog has been looking at me weird. He looks hungry. Malnourished even, but not in his body shape, his eyes. He looks at me with a stare I didn't think dogs could give, especially my dog. Sure, my dog is a 200 German Shepard, but he couldn't hurt a fly if he wanted to. To truly decide if he should be taken to the vet, I researched diseases for dogs that cause abnormal appetite, and sudden aggressiveness, when I heard this whimpering from my glass sliding door. It looked like my dog, but incredibly thin with his ribcage showing. He had a large gash in the side of his neck. It looked like his vocal cords were mangled. I looked at the dog who was laying down by my feet, and then back at the dog by the door. That dog tried to bark but just managed an airy, muffled, whining sound. I noticed that dog had the collar I'd bought year ago, as well as the pink scar on its nose where my dog had been cut by his previous abusive owner. The dog at my feet had a scar on its nose, but it the wrong area. It was on the snout and not the nose. That is not my dog. That is not my dog. That is not my dog.