Pill was a peculiar puppy. While his siblings bounded with exuberant puppyhood, he dragged himself along, his hind legs seemingly forgotten. They were small and withered, remnants of a developmental mishap. Yet, his spirit was anything but broken. He loved the feel of grass beneath his front paws, the taste of his mother’s milk, and the warmth of his littermates. He was a fighter, determined to keep up, even if it meant endless tumbles and scraped knees.
Today was supposed to be a celebration. His first birthday, his humans had said. But the morning brought a different kind of celebration. A cold, hard celebration of indifference. Pill was placed in a cardboard box, his world shrinking to a confined space. His humans, once sources of warmth and comfort, were now distant specks vanishing down the road.
The world outside was a blur of green and brown. The wind whipped at his thin fur, and the sun beat down mercilessly. Fear gnawed at him, but so did a stubborn determination. He would not give up. He would find his way back, back to the warmth of his home, the soft cushion of his bed.
Night fell, and with it came a chill that seeped into his bones. Hunger gnawed at his belly, and loneliness clawed at his heart. Yet, in the darkness, a tiny spark of hope flickered. He would survive. He would find his way back. For now, he curled up in the cardboard box, his small body trembling with cold and fear. But in his heart, a tiny voice whispered of a better tomorrow, a day when he would be loved and cared for, a day when he wouldn’t be defined by his disability.
With each passing hour, Pill’s resolve grew stronger. He was more than his physical limitations. He was a puppy, full of life and love, waiting for someone to see beyond his disabilities.
