My name is Tom well, nobody really calls me by a name, because nobody really gets close enough to do so. They say I look “scary,” even “creepy.” But I don’t feel scary. I don’t feel like anything other than a regular dog who just wants to love and be loved. Yet every time I see people, my tail wagging as hard as it can, I notice the same reaction — fear, avoidance, quick glances, and then people walking away.
My face is different. I know that. I’ve caught my reflection in puddles and shiny surfaces. My nose is a bit lopsided, my eyes don’t sit perfectly together, and I have scars from days when I wandered the streets just trying to survive. Somewhere along the way, people started calling me “the scary dog,” even if they didn’t say it to my face. It wasn’t their words that hurt, though; it was the distance they kept from me, as if I were something to fear or avoid. I started to believe, just maybe, that they might be right.
There was one time a small group of children saw me in the park. I thought maybe, just maybe, they’d be different. I took a few hesitant steps towards them, wanting only a gentle pat on my head or a friendly scratch behind my ears. But instead, they shrieked and ran. I remember sitting there, tail drooping, wondering if anyone would ever give me a chance. I watched them play from afar, my heart aching for something as simple as a smile.
It’s not easy for a dog like me, especially when all I crave is connection. My heart feels heavy with each passing day, as though I’m carrying the weight of every time someone has walked away. I imagine a different life, one where people look beyond what they see on the outside. In my dreams, there’s a warm home waiting for me, someone who doesn’t mind my face, someone who sees me for who I am — a loyal, gentle soul beneath the scars.
I hold onto a small glimmer of hope. One day, maybe someone will look at me and see past the surface. Maybe they’ll see the gentle spirit inside, the same spirit that other dogs are lucky enough to show the world without judgment. Until then, I’ll keep waiting, and I’ll keep dreaming that one day, someone will be brave enough to look past my face and give me a chance at the love I’ve been searching for my whole life.
