RIF's "I Love Animals" Writing Contest

Honorable Mention:
Casey S.
Age 8
Floyd, LA

Helping My Furry Friend Named Casey

One day when I was five-years-old, I was riding in my daddy's truck. We saw something on the side of the road. At first, we thought it was a black rock, but when we got closer we discovered that it was a white dog with black spots. It was not a Dalmatian, but it looked like it was a Heinz 57 variety. When we pulled up beside the dog, I could see it blinking its eyes. I told my daddy, "It is alive!" Then, we got out of the truck and hurried to help the dog.

I said, "Daddy, can we take it home and nurse it back to health."

My daddy examined the dog and saw that it had a broken leg. When he saw that we could help the hurt animal, he said that we could take it home and nurse it back to health. We both carefully lifted it up and put it in the truck. That was when the dog looked up at me with his big brown eyes and it whimpered. I knew that he was trying to say, "Help me." 

When we got home Daddy gently pulled the dog's broken leg to make the crooked bone straight. Then, I got my first-aid kit and poured peroxide where his leg was bleeding and then I wrapped his leg with bandages. We made a bed and laid our new furry friend on it. I tried to give him something to eat and drink but he would not eat or drink anything. I would pet him and talk to him. He would look at me again with his big brown eyes and I knew he was saying, "Thank you."

At bedtime I would lay beside him with my blanket and sleep by him. Then, one morning I woke up and he was limping on three legs over to his water dish and took his first drink and first bite of food. I was so excited. After he got better, we called my cousin, Alex, and he came over right away. Alex said he would take our furry friend home and be extra-good to him. I was kind of sad about losing my new pet, but Daddy said we could only keep him until he got better. Alex could see I was sad so he named the dog Casey, after me. I could see Casey anytime I wanted.

I think the reason why I could feel what Casey the Dog felt was because when I saw him on the side of the road all alone, I knew how that felt. My mommy left me and Daddy is raising me all alone. I was sick and had pneumonia and was in the hospital and wanted my mommy, but she didn't come. She lives very far away, but God has given me Miss Chris, my teacher and Pastor Paul and Dixie. They love me very much and feed me good food like applesauce and bananas. I know when they look into my eyes they can see that I am saying, "Thank you." So my furry friend, Casey the Dog and Casey the Kid are a lot alike.

Back to W·I·N·N·E·R·S