In Moate, I was walking the
path that runs alongside the abandoned railway tracks on the north edge of
town. It is a great place to relax and see birds up close. A man with an
African accent, and his daughter, were walking just a few yards ahead. Meanwhile
a woman walking her dog were approaching from the opposite direction. Quite by
accident, the five of us (four humans and a dog) converged in the same area simultaneously.
The little girl (about five-years old) was singularly focused on the dog, who
was older, docile and had a meandering gait. She asked her father worryingly, “Is
that dog going to lick me?” The owner, who overheard as she approached, assured
the girl that it was a friendly canine and would not pay her any attention. The
girl’s father reassured her as well, noting that it was a good dog and would
not lick her.
As I approached I offered my
hand to the dog to smell as a distraction and a greeting – sure enough, he did
not lick. As we all departed our common meeting spot, me walking faster than
the father and daughter, the woman and dog walk away, the little girl continued
to voice concern, “I did not want that dog to lick me.”
Her father replied
in a
reassuring tone, “No. That was a very nice dog…he would not bother you.”
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