Today is my birthday but it is also the day my foster parents want to return me to the shelter

Hogo was a blur of joyful barks and wagging tail as he bounded through the dew-kissed grass of the backyard. Today was his fifth birthday, a milestone he couldn’t comprehend but that his humans, the Andersons, had marked with a special bone and extra belly rubs. To Hogo, it was just another day of chasing squirrels, guarding the house from imaginary intruders, and basking in the warmth of human affection.

He didn’t understand the sadness lurking in the corners of their eyes, the hushed conversations that drifted through the open kitchen door. All he knew was the comforting rhythm of their lives, the familiar scent of their home, and the unconditional love they showered on him.

Hogo had been a scared, shivering bundle of fur when the Andersons brought him home from the shelter. They’d nursed him back to health, taught him manners, and given him a name. He’d blossomed under their care, growing into a loyal, affectionate companion. The shelter was a distant, hazy memory, a place of cold concrete and lonely howls.

But today, that nightmare loomed large. He sensed the change in the air, the way their hands hesitated before scratching behind his ears, the way their laughter sounded forced. The words “shelter” and “tomorrow” had crept into their conversations, words that made his tail droop and his heart ache.

As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows over the yard, Hogo curled up at the foot of the Anderson’s bed. He rested his head on Mrs. Anderson’s hand, his warm breath a silent plea. He didn’t understand the complexities of adult life, the pressures and limitations that forced people to make difficult choices. All he knew was that he loved them, and the thought of losing them was a pain he couldn’t comprehend.

The night was long, filled with the soft snores of his humans and the haunting echoes of his own fears. Tomorrow was a day he dreaded, a day that promised to shatter the world he knew. As dawn approached, he pressed closer to them, seeking the warmth and security of their embrace. In the fading darkness, he made a silent vow: no matter what happened, he would always love them.