I don’t look like the other dogs. My fur isn’t soft and shiny, and my eyes are too big for my face. They stick out like two round marbles, and I can see people’s expressions change when they look at me. They stare at my strange face, my awkward features—my nose, or rather the lack of it, and my teeth that poke out from my mouth like a silly smile I never asked for. Sometimes, I try to hide my face behind my paws or turn away from the world, hoping that maybe, just for a moment, I could disappear into the shadows where no one would see me.
But no matter how hard I try to hide, it never works. I hear their whispers, their giggles, and the way they talk about me when they think I’m not listening. “Look at that poor dog,” they say. “He’s so ugly. Who would want a dog like that?” The words sting, even though I’ve heard them so many times before. It’s like they don’t see me for who I am. They see my outward appearance and nothing more. They don’t see the longing in my heart to be loved, to be seen as more than just a funny-looking creature.
The hardest part is when I watch the other dogs with their families. They run and play, wagging their tails happily, being held and kissed by their owners. I wish I could feel that warmth, that comfort. I wish someone would look at me with love, instead of with pity or disdain. But I’ve never known what it feels like to belong to someone, to have a family who accepts me for who I am.
I wonder what it would be like to be hugged, to have someone tell me I’m special, even though I don’t look like the other dogs. Sometimes, when I see a kind face in the crowd, I get my hopes up. But then they look at me, frown, and walk away. I can’t blame them, I guess. I’m not pretty, and sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever know what it feels like to be wanted.
But deep down, I know I have a heart full of love to give. Maybe one day, someone will look past my lumpy appearance and see the sweet, loyal dog inside. Maybe someone will realize that the way I look doesn’t define who I am. Until then, I’ll keep hoping, keep waiting, and keep trying to believe that someday, somewhere, there will be someone who will see me and love me, just as I am.
