Page 4 - Publishing Inspiration Christmas Card 2023

Dr. Bo
(Part 1)
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Gary had been through some tough times in his life, and Bo was just
what he needed. Bo was a little rescue dog and the love he had for everyone
came out in his wildly wagging tail. He was the friendliest dog Gary had ever
seen. Just having Bo around, on the couch beside him with his head in Gary’s
lap, made troubles fade away.
Gary would come home from a hard day’s work, and Bo would be there
waiting to greet him. Together, they would go on a walk to relax, then come
home and eat together. Bo provided the comfort and unconditional acceptance
Gary needed.
But there was one thing that Bo kept doing that made Gary curious.
When they went on their walk each evening, Bo would pause at the same fence.
He would put his front paws on it and whimper. There was a big lawn with
comfortable lawn chairs behind the fence. Gary knew it wasn’t the fence
because they passed many like it. He wondered if it might be the green lawn,
but they passed a park with Bo showing little interest.
Gary didn’t even know what the place was, so one day they walked
around to the front of the building to find out. He learned it was a nursing
home for elderly and disabled people. And what was interesting was that Bo
seemed to want to go in. When they tried, Gary was told in no uncertain terms
that animals, other than service ones, were not allowed in the building. Gary
and Bo left, though Bo .showed great reluctance to be led away.
They continued their normal routine, but one day Gary came home, and
Bo was gone. He had somehow gotten a window up just enough to escape.
Gary had kept Bo inside, afraid he would get run over or have something else
bad happen to him. Gary felt his heart almost explode with fear when he
realized his little dog was missing.
Gary ran out to the street and started calling for Bo. And it wasn’t long
before Bo came running to meet him. Gary hugged the little dog and felt such
great relief. But it soon became a daily occurrence. No matter how well Gary
locked up the apartment, Bo found a way out. It seemed like he had learned to
unlatch windows or open doorknobs. And every time Gary called, Bo came
from the same direction.
One day, Gary decided to see if he could find out where Bo was coming
from. So instead of calling, he hurried down the street. Gary felt some

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