The faint snuffling sound gave me pause. I stopped, turned off my MP3 player and listened. But all I heard was the distant drone of traffic and the light pattering of a sprinkler hitting the pavement. Puzzled, I resumed my walk. A quarter mile into my daily stroll, my thoughts were full of deadlines, dinner and dogs. Dogs? That’s what I’d heard! The snuffling sound a dog makes while exploring the wonderful world of fire hydrants, trees, light posts and my ankles. Sure enough, as I slowed my stride, I felt hot breath and a cold nose in the vicinity of my ankle. I looked down to see a medium-size charcoal gray dog with a white stripe down his overly-curious snout. “Well, hey there, buddy,” I said. “Where do you belong?”/Cindy Hval, SR Front Porch. More here.

Also by Cindy:

• Ferris grad leaves her mark on 'The Boxtrolls'
• Yasodhara Yoga celebrates 25 years with open house

Question: Have you ever had a dog (or cat) follow you home? What did you do with it?

---

---