The Distracted Dog-Washer

The community dog wash was a battlefield of suds and barking. I was wrestling with my lab,

Charlie, when a golden retriever suddenly bolted past me. I lunged for the

trailing leash, and my hands collided with someone else’s in a desperate attempt to catch the runaway.

We ended up in a tangled heap of leashes and laughter. Her name was Mia, and she was just

as drenched and overwhelmed as I was. "I think Max wants a head start on

his walk," she laughed, wiping a streak of soap from her forehead. We spent the next

ten minutes working as a team just to get the dogs rinsed. It turned out her golden,

Max, shared the same chaotic energy as Charlie. As we untangled ourselves,