To Stop the
Killing
Pete Mladinic
Some
think it’s preposterous to help a dog,
especially
a mutt that is a thousand mutts,
a
dog in a cage, a dog in a street, in a field
of
tall grass, a dog on a chain in a yard
that,
like the dog, looks neglected, a dog
that’s
just there, unattended, neither fierce
nor
cute, that if it’s lucky may be unchained
and
in a shelter given water and food.
A
dog no one sees or hears, a nondescript
four-legged
creature, with a beating heart,
eyes
devoid of hope, a dog no one wants,
a
dog no one pets, much less notices.
A person
thinks, Why help a dog, any dog?
I’ve
got bills to pay. Why give a dog time,
take
a dog in? Life’s complicated enough
already
without complicating it with a pet.
How
could a dog in any way better my life?
I’d
rather watch Jeopardy, wash my car,
in a
casino feed coins into a slot machine.
I
can do more with my time and money
than
go to a shelter, and leave with a dog.
