by Issabelle Brooks, 04/17/2020, Beulah, MI

Elementary K-5 Category

“Oh hey! I didn’t smell you there!” My name is Nelly. I am a German Shorthair Pointer. I’m almost a year old but I am the queen of my house. I love to help clean dad’s toes.
My sworn enemy is kitty the cat. She is as black as your nightmares. One reason to ever like her is that she leaves tootsie rolls in a little box for me to chomp up.
I’ve never liked how my people leave every day and lock me in my kennel. Can I tell you a secret? Can I trust you? They don’t even lock my kennel all the way. I like to torture my sister who lays locked in her kennel. Mostly I spend my days yelling at all the mysterious humans walking by.
I hate school! My little human goes there every day with a big bag hanging on her back. When she comes home, she smells of Bird. She says it’s Fred, the class pet.
One day, it all seemed to stop. We have been watching movies every night. My little human always plays outside with me now. Yesterday, she took away my play toy!!! She thought my dead squirrel was gross! None of my little human friends come over any more. I can’t wrestle with them anymore and that’s sad for me.
The news has been on the big black box twenty four seven. It’s about the corona that my dad drinks. I wonder if he caused all this? I like to bark at the mysterious people with white diapers on their face.
All my people have been feeling down in the dumps. When I try to cheer them up, I get too relaxed. Soft, hot air comes out my back side. They all run and scream my name. “So we are playing tag?”
I know people are worried but I never want this to end. I would really miss practicing my gymnastics with my little human. I eat her ears and love the stinky smell of those mats. Scraps have multiplied! There are many smells of different foods. Will I have to go back to my unlocked kennel jail?
I love playing tag with my humans any time I want. These have been the best days of my bird dog life! I never want the smells to go away!