A Frantic Bark By The Water
The adult golden retriever threw his head back, barking sharply at the line of people walking past.
A few feet away in the wet sand, a tiny golden puppy lay pinned beneath a tight sheet of clear plastic.
Foamy saltwater rolled across the shore, lapping against the puppy’s soaked fur as beachgoers stared down at their mobile screens.
None of the passing strangers looked up from their phones.
The older retriever barked again, pacing back and forth across the wet shoreline.
Refusing To Walk Away
The dog darted forward, planting himself directly in the path of a young woman carrying a tote bag.
He nudged her woven purse with his wet snout and pulled gently at the strap.
The woman stopped in her tracks, lowering her phone as the retriever spun around and trotted back toward the crashing tide.
She lifted her gaze, following the dog’s urgent path along the waterline.
Her eyes caught the small golden body resting motionless against the wet pebbles.
She dropped her belongings and ran toward the surf.
Freeing The Stranded Pup
She dropped to her knees in the wet sand right where the waves broke.
Her fingers worked along the edges of the clinging plastic, peeling the slick film away from the puppy’s neck and chest.
The puppy lifted its chin weakly as the plastic pulled free.
The adult dog stepped in close, lowering his muzzle to nudge the pup’s wet cheek.
She reached into her beach bag, pulled out a thick blue towel, and gathered the trembling puppy into her lap.
She wrapped the blue fabric snugly around the little dog’s ears and shivering limbs.
Nearby beachgoers finally stopped, watching as the older dog leaned his forehead against the puppy’s wrapped head.
Clearing The Shoreline
Other people walking the beach set down their phones and began picking up discarded wrappers and debris along the tide line.
They filled large black trash bags with pieces of discarded plastic from the sand.
The woman stood up, cradling the wrapped puppy against her chest as the golden retriever walked proudly by her hip along the edge of the receding surf.
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