Good Boys

They weren't always this close. In fact, these good boys started out rivals on two sides of an old fence- a real live bark-fest of noisy, pointless drama, as every day they'd argue over nothing, racing up and down the long fence, the only barrier between their imaginary jousting.

Black Snout was the lucky pooch, rescued as a pup by a kind Tuscon family and their two kids. Life was good, all the love any hound would howl to the moon about.

Brown Snout had it rougher. He stayed outside. All the time. No matter how hot, cold, wet, or windy. A broken down shed with half a roof was his backyard home. Some days there was water or food, some days not. Brown Snout's owner drank.

The two competitors patrolled their yards, tolerating each other when not arguing, their days passed quickly over a year. One chilly, March morning, at sunrise, Brown Snout's thoughtless owner piled his old pickup with stuff, then drove off. Never came back. Just. Like. That.

After two days of constant pacing, Brown Snout finally layed down on the gravel driveway where the truck had been, just staring up the single road that led back to Interstate 10. Black Snout- because dogs are so divinely wise- seemed to know the score, and went to the far end of the fence, also laying down, just silent.

But, they  both had a lucky star directly over them the whole time. Black Snout's owner realized his former scoundrel neighbor had abandoned his dog without a care. But this kind owner knew exactly how the story must end. 

After a quick family talk, they all voted thumbs up, way up! Then, they all brought Brown Snout home. No more fence barking, took only a day for these good boys to become inseperable.