Like smoke, the words hung in the air. I glanced to him, and my gut wrenched. “What do you mean?”
Leaning against the building’s side, he shrugged. “Carl” was the name on his name tag. “Animals are constantly dumped out here. Think nobody will notice. In any case, this place is dead for half the year.
My heart fell. How could somebody simply abandon these small animals? Their ages could not have exceeded six or seven weeks. Their eyes darted about as if they were also seeking for answers, and their matted fur clung to their emaciated bodies.
I took another look at Carl. “Are you aware of who abandoned them?”
He responded bluntly, “Nope.” “And I would most likely go to jail for what I would do about it if I did.”
I was surprised by his candor, but he shared my dissatisfaction. Standing there, however, wasn’t making things better. The sky was becoming pink and orange as the sun began to set, and the temperature was rapidly decreasing. Those puppies wouldn’t survive the night if I didn’t take action right away.
“May I have them?” I inquired.
Carl’s eyebrows went up. “Are you certain? That’s quite a bit of accountability.
I retorted, “I can’t just leave them here.” “They will perish.”
