My name is Herman. I've gone to Heaven.
I am Herman, an 11-year-old Miniature Schnauzer and this is my story... Back in 1995, when I was a puppy, I came to live with a family in Raleigh, NC. They were not good people. They never let me stay inside - no matter how cold it got. I had to crawl under porches when it rained and I got wet anyway. I got very little food and I had to scrounge all over the neighborhood for scraps. I was nearly always hungry. I had fleas and my coat was always matted and dirty. The people in the family were mean to me. They beat me and never took me to a vet. I ran away several times. Most of the time I went by this one house where a very nice lady lived. She would dry me off, give me food and talk to me like a friend. One day in January of 1998 it was just above freezing and it was raining. I was cold, wet and very hungry. I went over to the nice lady's house and pawed at the door. She heard me and came out. She took one look at me, said something very angry toward the house of my old family and took me inside. I never saw the bad people again and just between us, that was fine with me! She gave me a bath and fed me. She was very kind to me. The next day, she took me to the doctor and had them give me all of my shots. I'd never had shots before and it stung a little. But the nice lady said it was good for me, so I never complained. The man who lived with the nice lady was also very kind to me. I loved them both and was very happy to have a good home at last. I didn't know it at the time but the nice lady was very sick. She died in the spring of 2003 and the man was very sad. I did whatever I could to make him feel better. He had a large house with a big fenced yard so I could run and play outside when the weather was nice. He had two cats and another dog, too. We all played together and got along like good friends. The man worked very hard at his computer but he always had time for me. In the summer of 2003 something must have gone very wrong for the man. We had to leave the house and go to a very small place. I couldn't spend as much time outside as I used to because we didn't have the big fenced yard any more. But the man took me out for walks several times a day. If it was cold, he'd put a sweater on me so I wouldn't be cold. Last weekend I got very sick. I was throwing up and I couldn't eat. The man brought me to this place. He said they'd make me feel better again. The doctor stuck a big needle in my leg and left it there. It hurts a little but I can stand it. The man comes to see me twice a day but he looks very sad. Even if I get well, my doctor bill and my hospital bill will be enormous and the man is very worried about how he's going to pay it. I want to go home as soon as I can. I miss my family - the man, his other friend and the two cats Frodo and Sophie. Thank you for listening to my story. Love, |
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Steve Humphrey |