Not so Strange Dog

A few months ago my office mate and I were taking a cab home. I took the cab with her since she passes along my route. On our way out of Araneta Center going to EDSA she then told me of a dog that usually trots by the sidewalk between 12 midnight to 2 a.m. I didn't find that odd since there were so many stray dogs scattered all over the metropolis. Then she mentioned that she always sees the dog during that exact period, as if it had a precise ritual to be in the same spot in the wee hours of night. I told her that she might be mistaken. It might be a different dog she saw passing by the spot. She believed it was the same dog - its left hind foot was strangely cut so it had to limp walking along the sidewalk. It was white, and not the hairy type as most stray dogs in the metropolis are.

The following day I went home at around 1 a.m. The cab I rode, like most cabs, had clear windows. I was looking at some people who were trying to cross the highway when a dog suddenly appeared from a corner street and limped its way to an old light post. It was white, not much hair on its body, and its left hind foot looked as if it was sliced clean from its limb. This is the dog my friend was talking about. It rummaged over the pile of garbage bags left at the light post, and started chewing the black plastic. I wondered if that was the reason why it was a frequent visitor of that spot. Stray dogs are peripatetic creatures, and they probably haunt a certain place if there is something for them that would support their survival. Leftovers are welcome treats. Dogs are seldom choosy. My cab continued to speed over EDSA. Inside I kept reminding myself to share my thoughts on why the dog visits that same spot. Nourishment is always a good reason.

I glanced back at the old light post to check on the dog one more time. I saw another tail wagging behind the garbage bags. I thought it would be cheesy to add this information too, but then there shouldn't be any use deleting certain information even if it may sound like it's fabricated.