How can this be? This story has no beginning as all of those facts are lost. How does
one search a dogs past? Perhaps, were a dog born into nobility, these search results
would be different. If we were speaking of a registered purebred dog, his past would
be carefully and meticulously documented.

If the dog had been born into a truly caring family, his history would be written in notes
and pictures. Even the less than famous, and surely not even the less than rich, care a
great deal for each dog that becomes a full member of their family.

But what about the dog who, through no fault of his own, lives completely without
identity? No veterinarian records. If there are any, who's name are they under? For
each new home these street dogs have, comes a new name. Who is this dog? Where
did he come from? These questions will not, no doubt, ever be answered.
What we do know is - the dog is part Pit Bull. This canine mix has been given a less
than wonderful reputation. This is due, in the most part, to the people that own them.
Dogs, like humans, reflect the company they keep. The dog in this story began a few
years ago. A friend of mine, that lives in Florida, had a neighbor who seemed to the
caretaker of this Pit Bull mix. After some time, it became apparent the dog was not
being fed. Dogs, like myself always want to believe in others. When there was no food,
we want to say- this is not because they don't care, but perhaps they have fallen on
hard times. A thousand reasons we contrive to excuse those who refuse to tend to their
responsibilities.

If you invite me to your house and expect me to guard you and your home till my death,
is it to much to expect a daily meal and fresh water? So I wait, and continue to guard
your home boundaries. The Pit Bull just waited for a kind word and a good meal. He
was guarding the house the day a group of school children, walking home from school,
came by . They were being very loud and boisterous. The dog thought they were
fighting and went over to investigate. He began baking and someone thought he was
going to bite the children. It seems he only wanted the ruckus to end. Should the dog
have been considered a threat for speaking his mind? One must only spend a few
minutes with a dog, or a person, to see the depth of their character. They were judging
the dog by his looks and bark, and not what did, which was only speaking his mind.

This dog does remember tiny bits of his past. He remembers his Mother. He also
remembers his brothers and sisters. The old dog speculated they did well as children,
but as soon as the easy, cute months were over, by means he does not recall, the
family was separated. The years between then and now are a blur. The years were
hard, so when he found a friend on Kentucky Road, he thought he finally had found a
home. All it took was a kind word and a pat on the head and a meal. The old dog was
soon to be disappointed again.

As the months went by, the meals were cut to an occasional bone or a crust of dry
bread thrown out the back door. My master has surely fallen on bad times he kept
reassuring himself. Kentucky road had been good to me the old dog thought. " My
master will do better just as soon as he can " the dog thought.
One day, there, right across the street from the house the old dog had guarded so
faithfully, he met a very nice man and his wife. The dog had never begged because his
Mother had taught him better. " I am not sure why this lady likes me" thought the old
dog, but when she saw I was not being fed, she began feeding me. Perhaps this is
some arrangement my master has made with these people as he has surely fallen on
bad times. My master would surely not abandon me. Soon his master no longer even
bothered to speak to him. What had the dog done to deserve such treatment? Perhaps
it was his skin condition or the fact that he was old. It finally became clear the man he
considered a friend and master was neither and no longer cared for him. The old dog
remembered a lesson his Mother gave him on being loyal to your master. He had lived
that lesson, but it was quite evident he was no longer welcome at the mans house.

It was a quite day when the old dog remembered another lesson his Mother taught him.
The story of the dog catcher. "They will come and take you to the dog pound and then
they will kill you" his Mother had said. The old dog can not remember the day, the week
or even the month when he first saw the dog catcher on Kentucky road. His Mother had
warned him "if you ever see the truck, be nice and kind and quite." Show them you are
friendly". The dog watched as the truck pulled up right beside him. Again the old dog
heard his Mothers words " Son you are part Pit Bull terrier and lots of people think we
are mean. Be your same kind self and always remember, even if we are not together as
a family, I am counting on you to behave properly." The old dog sat quietly as the dog
catcher got out of his truck and walked toward the dog. The old dog heard his Mother
say, "its ok son, don't be scared" " Come on fella, "I have to take you in" said the
man.The old dog went quietly but all the while wondering why. What had he done?

Just as he was about to be taken away, to the place his Mother had called the "Killing
House" , the nice lady and her husband, from across the street, came running over in
their night clothes. This was the same couple that had been giving him meals. "Where
are you taking him?" the lady asked the dog catcher. " To the pound. " The lady spent a
long time explaining what a nice old dog he was. " They will kill him as he is part Pit
Bull " she said. There is a law against having Pit Bulls you see. The man thought for a
time. "Can I have this old dog ? I promise to take very care of him " the lady promised.
The man knew she was right and the dog would surely be put to sleep. The lady also
knew the man had to work and this was part of his job, as she also thought he probably
had a family to feed. She could also see in his eyes he knew she was right and the old
dog would surely be put to sleep. Again she promised to take very good care of the
dog. The next moment the man got in his truck and drove away. He turned the corner
and was gone from Kentucky road.

The lady, the man and the old dog hurried into their house and to the back yard. It was
like a whole new world for the old dog, there behind the wooden fence.

Thus began the old dogs new life. He is right across the street from the place he called
home for so long. Now days, no meals are ever forgotten. He has his own nice dry
room. There are lots of cats there also, but no one is ever forgotten. Ever !! The tall
wooden fence shelters him from the thoughts of his past master who abandoned him.
Of all the places he has ever lived in his adult life, this is the first place he can really
call home. His skin is now beautiful. For the first time the old dog knows he is really
loved. His name is now Brutus. You wonder why my story is- The Dog that Never Was.
There are no records we can find, only the thoughts of an old dog. Unlike most people,
our dogs keep these memories to themselves. We can tell when they are happy, but
they seldom tell us of their pain. We do know the old dog associated himself with
people who did not teach him to fight. We also know that all of the people he thought
were his friends, in the long run, let him down. All that is , except the dog catcher and
the nice couple on Kentucky road.

The old dogs past was with his Mother, who no doubt has crossed Rainbow Bridge, and
with his brothers and sisters. The old dog can't even remember their names. He does
knows they will ALL meet again- over the Bridge- but until then he really has a place to
call home. He is well taken care of. His whiskers are gray and he does not jump like he
did when he was young, but he had remembered all of his Mothers lessons, and they
finally all paid off. He has even learned all about holidays. His new, forever, family
even dresses him up for the occasion. He thinks it a bit odd, but if makes them happy
so be it. Its a small price to pay for a new and final forever home.

This story is written for Brutus, the dog, who resides on Kentucky Road in Florida.
Brutus may be about 15 years old, who can say for sure.

by .................

Gloria Jean Childers
July 11, 2006