Sergeant Brigit
While taking a dip in the river had cooled Brigit down, it had also given her a serious case of flat fur. No self-respecting shepherd would go around looking like some pathetic short-haired breed. Of course there was only one remedy to that. Shake.
Brigit began her full-body shimmy, starting at her back end and working her way forward until she’d rid herself of most of the river water she’d soaked up. Her fur was once again proud and fluffy, as it should be. To her surprise, Megan had voiced no objection to being doused with the spray today.
Megan clipped her lead to her collar and Brigit walked by her partner’s side. They passed a pony ride, where a half-dozen of the beasts were tethered to a metal wheel, taking toddlers and tykes in incessant circles. A small boy on a brown Shetland pony rocked in the saddle, kicked the pony in the ribs with his sneakers, and yelled, “Giddyup!” With its bridle tied to a metal pole and the weight of the other ponies acting as a counterbalance, the poor pony couldn’t giddyup even if it wanted to.
Brigit’s eyes met those of the pony. I feel for you, buddy. Perhaps their species should consider joining together, rising up, and overthrowing the humans. Then again, while Megan might technically be her boss, she was pretty much at Brigit’s beck and call, feeding her, taking care of her poops, and reaching those hard-to-scratch areas, like the one at the base of her tail. Hmm. She’d have to give the idea more thought before fully committing to a coup.
As they approached a garbage can, Brigit spotted Derek standing in front of it. Derek was one of the few officers who never talked baby talk to her or gave her so much as a pat on the head. Brigit didn’t like him at all, and she could tell Megan didn’t like him, either. Her partner tended to stiffen when the guy came around and to hold Brigit closer, both of which the dog recognized as defensive postures.
For some reason, Derek was digging through the garbage can, tossing the contents onto the ground around the bin. Brigit’s nose detected all of the tasty tidbits people had thrown away. Bits of barbecue. Nacho remnants. Pizza crust, her favorite. She’d love nothing more than to run over to the pile of food scraps and have a feast. But she knew Megan wouldn’t be happy with her, even if she offered to share the smorgasbord. Sometimes there was just no pleasing people.