A Stray Encounter

I thought I knew a lot about canines until one afternoon, when my dog and I began our usual walk in the park, and I noticed a dog watching us from behind. His discreet approach startled me, but I could see a collar. I assumed the owner wasn’t far.

This dog followed us, always trailing by a good distance. My initial frustration with an irresponsible owner soon shifted to concern: Did this dog have an owner?

An uneasy feeling ran through me. I’d never encountered a stray and had no idea what to do. We were in a popular dog spot, so he was probably someone’s pet. I didn’t want to call animal control, but wasn’t comfortable approaching him. Still, I kept picturing a worried family, heartsick about their lost dog

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