The Sirens Closing In
Once she was sure the dog was doing it intentionally, she finally decided to peek into the storm drain. The hair on her neck stood up as she glanced inside, and she felt like she was to heave her stomach up.
She grabbed her cell phone and dialed the only number she thought could help in her panicked state. She eventually heard the sound of sirens approaching after ten minutes of waiting.
A New Yorker
She was a New Yorker born and raised. She was always very proud of her city, even if there were a few glaring problems that it had. The homeless and stray problems came to mind.
She just wished there was more affordable housing for the homeless and more shelters for stray animals. She often thought about this fact, but it never put her off. She was still a proud New Yorker.
Nancy Armstrong
Nancy Armstrong was a tough, independent woman who had lived in Brooklyn all of her life. She had a fascination with journalism and investigating the unknown. Her curiosity always led her into trouble as a teenager.
But now a young adult, Nancy knew that the world was full of opportunities for her. She managed to get a job as a tabloid writer. It wasn't exactly her dream job as her burning curiosity wasn't quite satisfied. But one day, her curiosity would get the better of her.
Walk On The Weekends
Nancy loved to take a walk through Brooklyn on her weekends. She'd normally find streets packed with vendors and other curiosities. It also gave her an excuse to stop by her favorite butcher just five blocks from her house.
But if something curious were what Nancy was looking for, she'd soon be looking directly at it on her way out of the butcher shop.
A Stray
Nancy stopped by her local butcher and bought her favorite pork sausages. It was the only shop in town that made them just the way she liked. But on the way out, she came across a peculiar site.
He saw a stray. There was nothing strange about that, but it was what the stray was doing that caught her attention. Her curiosity wouldn't let her just ignore them.
Staring Down At A Drain
Nancy walked up to the stray and watched as it stared down into a storm drain. The dog seemed just as curious as her and wanted to get to something down there. But once the dog heard her coming, it quickly locked its gaze on her.
It was eyeing up her sausages. Strays often couldn't find proper meals for days at a time. Nancy stared down at the begging dog and decided to give in to its pleading eyes. But she didn't know how much she'd regret it.
Dropping The Food
A minute later, the dog was standing in front of the drain with a sausage in its mouth. Nancy started walking back to her apartment when she turned back to see the dog dropping half the sausage she had given it into the drain.
She rolled her eyes and kept walking, the poor stray must have clumsily dropped the sausage, and now it was gone. But little did she know, the stray did it intentionally.
The Next Week
The following week, Nancy was back on her weekly walk around the neighborhood. The stray was the furthest thing from her mind until she got to the butcher shop again. She eyed the storm drain, and sure enough, the dog was still there.
This time, a curiosity sparked in her. She wanted to know what the dog thought was so interesting inside the drain. She decided to go back to the butcher and get the dog another treat. But this time, she wouldn't be ready for the outcome.
Another Sausage
After another quick stop at the butcher shop, Nancy came out with an extra sausage. She wanted to see what the stray would do with the food this time. She walked out, and sure enough, the stray started salivating at the sight of the meat.
Nancy managed to get closer to the stray this time. She was close to the storm drain and could nearly see what was inside. But she needed to make sure the dog trusted her first.
Trust
Even though she had it eating out of the palm of her hand, strays could be unpredictable. She didn't want to make it feel like she was going to steal whatever was in the drain from the animal. She just wanted to help if she could.
So she gave the sausage to the dog and watched her experiment unfold. The dog walked up to the drain cover and, sure enough, dropped half again. It was no accident!
A Look Inside
Now that she knew the dog was doing it on purpose, she finally decided to look into the storm drain. But as she peered inside, the hair on her neck stood up as something that made her want to throw up.
In a panicked state, she pulled out her cellphone and called the only number she thought could help. After ten minutes of waiting, she finally heard the sirens closing in.
Calling The Firefighters
What Nancy saw made her immediately dial 911 and request that firefighters come to help her. After waiting for ten minutes, they finally arrived on the scene. They brought all the necessary tools for the job.
The pros got to work opening the storm drain, and Nancy still felt shaken. The dog even didn't even seem comfortable letting them get into the storm drain, but they had to after what she saw.
Kittens
After another 15 minutes, the firefighters managed to get out the animals that Nancy saw trapped in the storm drain. There were five kittens that had been trapped in the drain.
They looked in good health despite being down there for a while. They meowed at Nancy, and the stray immediately ran over in concern.
A Hero Dog
After the firefighters thanked her for reporting it, she smiled at told them that it was all thanks to the stray dog that she even noticed the kittens. She recognized that he had been feeding the kittens while they were trapped.
She knew they would have starved if not for the dog getting involved. So she decided to do something spontaneous that she never normally did.
Taking Action
Before Nancy could consider anything, she needed to make sure the tiny animals were alright. She made sure the firefighters were finished with their job before she decided what she was going to do.
They told her that all of the kittens were out and that their job was done. She refused to let them help her. She needed to do this on her own.
Finding What She Needed
Nancy looked around the market desperately until she found what she was looking for. She ran up to a merchant and begged for his assistance. He looked confused but seeing the desperation in her eyes made him cave.
He gave her just what she was looking for. Soon she rushed back to the kittens and had what she needed.
A Box
What Nancy took from the merchant nearby was a box. She needed a way to transport the kittens without incident, and since she didn't have a car, she'd have to walk with a box.
She scooped the kittens into the box and thanked the firefighters for their help. Now their fate was in her hands. She couldn't let them down as fate had so far.
A Check Up
Now that she could safely transport them, she decided to take them to the vet. They had to get a check-up to make sure nothing was wrong with them.
After saying goodbye to the firefighters, she started her long walk to the nearest vet. There were one five blocks from where she was, and she was kept motivated by the meowing the entire time.
She neared the vet with the kittens in her box. But she had no idea something was following her.
A Tail
Nancy got to the vet and prepared to go inside. She was happy that the kittens would get the help they needed. But then she heard something breathing behind her.
Dozens of thoughts ran through her mind. The worst fear was that it was something that followed her from the sewer and wanted the kittens back. But as she spun around, she couldn't believe what it was.
The Stray
Waves of reassurance washed over nancy. It was just the stray dog that had helped her save the kittens just minutes earlier. It must have felt responsible too. Otherwise, why would it have followed her all this way?
It wagged its tail and pressed its ears flat against its head. Nancy couldn't help but feel that it was her partner.
Getting All The Animals Checked Out
It was a unique opportunity. Nancy had the kittens, and the stray dog checked out by the vet. To her relief, the kittens were unhurt and just needed a bit of love and care to be alright.
The stray was also in overall good health. They also just needed a good home. But this is where Nancy was met with a dilemma. One that would change her life forever.
Considering Her Options
Nancy knew that she was at a crossroads. Her decision would entirely affect not only the lives of the kittens but also the stray dog's life. She had to consider her options before she made a hasty decision.
After giving it a bit of thought, she had an idea that would work out best for everyone involved. She just had to follow through with it.
Making Sure The Kittens Went To The Right Place
After the trip to the vet, Nancy took both the dog and the kittens home. She spent the next week searching for the best place to take the kittens. After a lot of research, she found what looked like the perfect place for them.
She made the arrangements, and a nice lady came and picked them up. She reassured Nancy that they would all go to good homes. But it wasn't over just yet.
Adoption
With the kittens all going to a foster home, Nancy thought it was unfair that the stray dog would stay on the streets. She decided to take the dog home. It seemed he didn't need much convincing.
He clearly remembered that she was the one that gave him food and helped him save the trapped kittens. Now he would have a new home and never have to live on the streets again.
Like A New Dog
Nancy was happy to adopt the little fluffy dog. She brought him home and gave him a bath he sorely needed. She watched the dirt come off in the brown bath water when they were done.
He looked like a new animal! All of the dirt in his matted coat had given way to a wonderful-looking dog. But she had no idea what he had in store for her.
A Normal Week
The next week went by quite normally. Nancy had named the stray Thor because of his golden fur. Thor spent the week settling into his new home nicely. She could tell that he was happy to just have a new home.
He was in love with her, and she couldn't have been happier with her new companion. But soon, things would change.
A Strange Habit
Over the next few weeks, Nancy found that her companion's mood had changed gradually. He was no longer himself. He would growl at the wall every morning when she came down the stairs.
What was this peculiar behavior? She decided to get a contractor to come to see what was on the other side of the wall.
Stress
Nancy felt more stress than she ever had before in her life. What was in her walls that Thor could sense she couldn't? The man couldn't have arrived any sooner and got to work.
He tapped on the wall to check for anything that could have set the dog off. After the drywall seemed fine, he had no choice but to break through it to check the inside of the wall.
A Discovery
After carefully cutting through the drywall, the man told Nancy that they'd found all manner of peculiar things in walls before. Coincidentally the last thing was kittens that had been born in the wall.
But after a minute of looking into the wall, he had some bad news. A supporting beam for the wall right where the dog was barking showed signs of rot.
Everything Ends Well
The contractor told Nancy that it was an easy fix and that her dog was a hero for bringing her attention to the situation. Not only had Thor saved the kittens, but now had saved her from a potential disaster.
She was glad to have such an intuitive pup that came not only with all the street smarts but also lots of love to give.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places,s, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.