pet

I was driving home last month after a particularly bad year, a "year of Job", as some would say. I was in a new place, and missing friends, and my old dog, and tired of figuring out how to exercise, and wanting to find a way to volunteer and give back, and not sure how to meet new people. Suddenly, it all came together like a burst in my head - walk dogs at the local humane society! I got on their website, not knowing if that was something they even needed, and there, listed under "current volunteer needs" was "DOG WALKERS".

I went to the pet store trying to decide what kind of pet I would like to have. I looked at the fish, and the lizards, the turtles and the frogs. There was a bright red tomato frog in a terrarium, facing out toward the aisle where I was standing. I stopped to say hello. As I went to leave, his little front foot came up to touch the glass, as if to say, "Don't leave - take me with you!" And that's the story of how Beefsteak, the tomato frog, came into my life.