The Dog Who Found Love

Once upon a time, in a small town, there lived a lonely little dog. When it was very young, it lost its parents and wandered the streets alone. Life was hard—it was often bullied by other dogs and slept in cold alleyways near garbage bins, surviving on scraps of leftover food it could find.

In the same town lived a kind-hearted boy named Ben. Ben always went out of his way to help others.

One afternoon, as Ben was walking home from school, he noticed the little dog curled up beside a trash can. Its frail body and sorrowful eyes immediately tugged at his heart. Gently, Ben approached, crouched down, and stroked the dog’s head. At first, the dog flinched in fear, but sensing Ben's kindness, it slowly relaxed.

Ben smiled warmly, took a piece of bread from his bag, and offered it to the dog. “Here you go, little one. You must be hungry,” he said softly. The dog hesitated but soon devoured the bread hungrily. After finishing, it looked up at Ben with gratitude shining in its eyes.

As Ben stood up to leave, he said, “Goodbye, little dog. Stay safe.” But as he walked away, the dog followed him at a distance, not wanting to leave the kind boy.

When Ben reached his house, he saw the dog still trailing behind. Kneeling down, he asked gently, “Do you want to come home with me?” The dog wagged its tail excitedly, as if saying, “Yes!”

Ben hesitated. He knew his mom didn’t allow pets, but he couldn’t bear to send the dog back to the cold streets. Carefully, he opened the door, made sure no one was around, and snuck the dog inside.

In the bathroom, Ben gave the dog a warm bath, washing away the dirt and grime. After drying it off, he brought the dog to his room. “Hmm, what should I call you?” Ben pondered. He studied the fluffy little dog and smiled. “You look like a furball. How about... Buddy?”

The dog barked happily, as if it loved the name.

That evening, when Ben’s mom returned, he hid Buddy in his closet. Once his mom went to bed, Ben brought Buddy onto his bed, where they cuddled under the blanket. For the first time in a long while, the dog felt safe and warm.

But the next morning, Ben’s mom discovered Buddy sleeping on the bed. Surprised, she asked, “Ben, what is this dog doing here?”

Ben quickly explained, “Mom, this is Buddy. He has no home and no one to care for him. Can we please keep him?”

His mom frowned. “Ben, we can barely afford to take care of ourselves. We can’t keep a dog.”

Tears filled Ben’s eyes. Hugging Buddy tightly, he pleaded, “But Buddy needs us. He’s so lonely and has nowhere to go!”

Seeing her son’s tears, Ben’s mom softened but still shook her head. “I understand, Ben. But we just can’t. Maybe Buddy will find a better home.”

Heartbroken, Ben wiped his tears, carried Buddy outside, and walked back to the alley where they first met. Kneeling down, he whispered, “Buddy, I’ll visit you every day and bring you food. We’ll still be friends, okay?”

Buddy nuzzled Ben’s hand, as if understanding his words.

From that day on, Ben visited Buddy daily, bringing food, water, and toys. One day, while they played with a ball, Ben accidentally kicked it down a steep hill. As he climbed down to retrieve it, he slipped, tumbled down the slope, and hit his head on a rock, losing consciousness. Blood trickled down his forehead.

Buddy, sensing danger, grabbed Ben’s backpack and raced to his house. Standing at the door, he barked frantically to get attention.

At first, Ben’s mom ignored the noise, but Buddy persisted, barking louder and more urgently. Finally, she opened the door. Buddy dropped the backpack at her feet and barked toward the hill, his eyes pleading for her to follow.

Realizing something was wrong, she ran after Buddy. When she saw Ben lying motionless at the bottom of the hill, her heart sank. With the help of neighbors, she carried him up the slope and called for an ambulance.

In the hospital, doctors quickly stopped Ben’s bleeding. “It’s a good thing you brought him in so fast,” the doctor said. “He’ll be fine now.”

Ben’s mom sighed in relief and hugged Buddy tightly. “You saved my boy. Thank you.”

When Ben woke up later, he saw his mom and Buddy by his side. Smiling weakly, he reached out to pet Buddy.

His mom held his hand and said, “Buddy saved your life. He’s part of our family now. Let’s take care of him together.”

Overjoyed, Ben nodded.

When Ben returned home, his mom set up a cozy little bed for Buddy with soft blankets and toys. Buddy wagged his tail happily, knowing he’d finally found a family.

From then on, Buddy and Ben were inseparable. They walked to school together, played in the yard, and shared countless happy moments. The lonely little dog had finally found a home, and Ben had gained a loyal friend for life