When we arrived at the annual Paw Plunge benefit, I handed the young pool attendant a crisp ten-dollar bill and signed ourselves in. I let the dogs off-leash.

Frankie instantly made a beeline for the wading pool with Johnnie following cautiously behind. There must have been at least a dozen dogs swimming and chasing tennis balls in the water. Frankie was having a great time and quickly made many new canine friends. Johnnie soon joined in on the fun. Once he was in the water, he had a lot of fun swimming and splashing in the shallow wading pool. And, of course, there were plenty of dog owners as well.

Although people were not allowed to go in the water, many gathered around the poolside in groups. It looked like a big pool party, but without any alcohol. I caught a glimpse of my old friend, Angelo, on the opposite side of the pool, so I walked around and said hello to him.

"Angelo!"

"Hey, my friend! Come sta?

"Molto bene!" I joked back. "Where's your little friend?"

"Oh, he's in the water, someplace...There, there he is, getting the ball. He loves tennis balls. That's the only way he'll go in the water; to chase the ball."

"I brought my neighbor's two dogs here. Today is the last full day that I have with them. So, I thought, what's a better way for them to end their little vacation?"

As we were engaged in conversation, two or more soaking wet dogs, who were chasing one another, brushed right against my pant leg, almost knocking me over. "That's going to stink!" I complained.

"Where there's a wet dog, get out of its way!" Angelo wisely advised.

"These two guys have done a lot of swimming this past week," I said. "They should be pretty wiped out by the time they get home. It's been an exhausting week. I can't wait until it's over so I can finally relax."

"It sounds like you got used to not having a dog to care for all the time."

"That's true. And two dogs make almost twice as much work. I say 'almost' because it is just as easy to take two dogs for a walk, or feed two dogs as it is one."

"They are a lot of work. But when you go out for a while in the evening without them, it is so nice to come home to them, and find them waiting for you. It suddenly makes it all seem worthwhile."

Standing among a group of people, I spotted a woman with sandy colored hair. Although I hardly knew her, I recognized her right away. She was none other than "The Dog Walker" herself.

"Excuse me," I said apologetically. "But there is someone I need to say hello to."

As I started walking in her direction, she disappeared into a swarm of people so quickly, I wondered if I had seen her at all or if she was merely an illusion.

Story and Cover Illustration Copyright © 2021 by Michael DeFrancesco