The Whiskers of Hope

It's only been a few days, but I already admire and respect every person working at Tiny Paws & Friendly Claws. Even though they are short on staff, they treat the animals in the same manner as those in regular, loving households do. The dogs are walked twice a day: once in the morning and again before the staff leaves for the day. Cats are frequently allowed to play and roam freely in their own domain. Overnight, additional care is also offered for animals undergoing veterinary treatment, such as those recovering from surgery.

The staff has now divided us into two groups. Rika and Yuki are looking after the cats, while Hikaru and I are in charge of the dogs. When we arrived at the animal shelter this morning, the dogs were already fed and cared for. We were tasked with walking the dogs today because regular exercise is essential for pets. Usually, a volunteer dog walker assists an animal in getting some fresh air and playing for an hour or more.

We were given four dogs in total: two black poodles and two brown Chihuahuas. Before we headed out, we were also given four sturdy leashes, dog treats, water bottles, toys, and plenty of poop bags! What can I say? It's a smelly job, but someone has to do it! We each took one Poodle and one Chihuahua and headed out!

It was a lovely morning, and our walk began with enthusiasm and an urgent desire to pee from our canine companions. It was all fun and games until they realized they needed to poop. After picking up the chocolate-brown puddings, the walk becomes more about looking around, sniffing, and discovering new things.

The dog treats in my pocket are reminiscent of Yuki's cookies. Not because of the taste, though I've never had dog food, so I couldn't say. But because they have the same impact on me as these treats do on these small dogs. The day I fainted at the animal shelter is a day I'll never forget. I couldn't decide whether to open the cookies or leave them as they were. But then I remembered Yuki's note and how she wanted me to eat them. So I ate them. I do, however, still keep the packaging.

I stopped daydreaming about Yuki when one of the poodles started getting stubborn on the leash. He managed to pull back enough to the point where he was able to slip out of his collar. Hikaru and I were both terrified. The dog bolted down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. He ran a few blocks before we caught up with him. We managed to surround him in a parking area, and I was able to reattach the collar to him and tighten it. Phew! That was a close call!

Soon after, I noticed a tall woman stepping out of an expensive sports car. She was quite tall and was carrying a huge purse. The woman was probably in her twenties. Suddenly, she turned around to face us and began walking faster toward our dogs.

"Kuuki!??? Is it you? Kuuki!!! It's me, Hina! I'd been looking everywhere for you! I was worried sick!" She expressed this as she walked toward one of the poodles. I looked at Hikaru, who stared back at me, puzzled. The dog barked once before leaping into her arms.

"Good morning! Is this your dog?" Hikaru asked the woman.

"Good morning! Yes, I believe he is! I've been searching for him for a week! It was the dog walker's first day, and Kuuki slipped out of his collar and ran after another dog. And we haven't been able to find him since! It's one of his bad habits, I'm afraid," she said while embracing the poodle.

We were skeptical at first, but she showed us photos from her phone. The dog resembled Kuuki, except the one in the pictures had a fancy collar. We decided to return to the shelter together and speak with the staff about a potential adoption. When we arrived there, we saw Rika and Yuki in the waiting room, probably taking a break. Rika's eyes widened as she noticed the woman who had accompanied us waiting at the reception counter.

"Is that Hina Kitamura? Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god," Rika whispered to us.

"Who?" I asked, puzzled.

"What do you mean, who? Don't you read the news? I know you're only familiar with the weather segment, but you should start watching the news as well. Hina Kitamura is the daughter of a famous politician. Right now, she's the ultimate it girl on social media. Everyone knows who she is!" Rika rolled her eyes at me. Yuki chuckled, and I sighed deeply. Hikaru didn't care about the conversation and just sat down.

"How did you meet her? And what is she doing here?" Rika said, as she kept asking us multiple questions about Hina. So I ended up telling her the whole story.

"No way! Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing her post about her missing dog! Wow! That's incredible if it's true!" Rika had her mouth open. Yuki, on the other hand, was in tears.

"Are you okay, Yuki?" I expressed concern.

"Y-Yes, don't worry about me!" She was smiling, but tears began to fall down her cheeks. She sat down and took out a handkerchief from her purse. I had no idea what to do.

"Really, I'm fine. These are tears of joy. I'm just happy after hearing Hina's story. It gives me hope, you know. It's a reminder to myself that miracles do happen!" Yuki said, tapping her cheeks with her handkerchief. Hope? Hope for what exactly? Before I could ask more, we were interrupted by Hina herself.

"Excuse me! I believe you are volunteers here; am I right?" she asked me.

"Yes, we just started a few days ago," I answered.

"It doesn't matter. I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Kuuki! Really, I had no idea this animal shelter existed. Seriously, this place looks amazing! Do you have a website? I would love to promote Tiny Paws & Friendly Claws on my page," she said, taking her phone out of her purse.

"Well, we don't have an official site, but we do have an account where my friend Yuki posts pictures of the animals here," I said before introducing her to Yuki.

"Wonderful! Tell me the name, and I'll follow you!" Hina said, as she returned to sort out more paperwork required for adoption.

"Oh my GOD! Yuki, you're so lucky!" Rika embraced her joyfully.

Yuki's tears have dried up now; however, I still can't get that scene out of my head. I need to find out more! I have to! But why do I feel so powerless right now? We're so close, yet still so far.