A boy working at a warehouse near a shut bicycle shop noticed a scruffy dog visiting the store every day without fail. Intrigued by its routine, he followed the dog one day and uncovered a heartbreaking secret.
Aged 18, Chris was an experienced worker at the market who had seen many street animals. But Ollie, a Shiba Inu, was quite different. He was friendly, polite, and too well-groomed to be a stray.
When Chris first encountered Ollie, he saw him standing outside a closed bicycle shop, gazing at the large glass windows. His colleagues told him the dog belonged to the shop owner, who had suddenly stopped coming to work for several weeks.
Chris felt upset when he saw the lonely dog. He loved dogs and was annoyed that someone could abandon their pet and disappear. One day, before going to the café for lunch, he gently patted Ollie’s head and said, “Hey there, Ollie… want a sandwich, boy?”
From then on, the curious dog would run toward Chris every lunchtime, wagging his tail excitedly at the sight of his lunchbox. But instead of eating, Ollie would snatch it and run off with the meal clenched in his jaws.
Watching Ollie dash away with the food every day and then return to the same spot until closing time made Chris worried and curious. At first, he thought Ollie might be feeding puppies somewhere and bringing food for them. But Ollie was a male dog, and his strange behavior didn’t add up.
Day after day, Chris grew more concerned as he saw Ollie’s coat dull and his energy dwindle. The dog looked troubled, and Chris suspected abandonment but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong.
One lunchtime, Chris observed Ollie wagging his tail, licking his chops at the sight of a sandwich, then grabbing it and running off. It made Chris wonder, “Where is he taking the food without eating it?” he thought.
He called out to Ollie, “Ollie, where are you going?” but the dog didn’t slow down or look back, vanishing into the distance. Frustrated and confused, Chris shook his head and went back to work, unable to forget the sight of Ollie running away with the meal.
The next evening, as Chris stepped outside into the cold night to go home, he saw Ollie sitting outside the closed bike shop. The dog’s eyes were fixed on the glass, and he whined softly when he saw Chris approaching.
Chris’s heart sank at the sight of the lonely dog. Their bond had grown, and he realized Ollie was more than just a strange dog. He was a loyal, loving companion who had touched his heart. With sadness, Chris decided he needed to help Ollie.
He approached carefully and silently promised to himself never to abandon the dog. He knelt, gently stroked Ollie’s head, and whispered, “You’re not alone, buddy. I’m here for you.”
Moved by compassion, Chris decided to take Ollie home. But he faced a problem: his girlfriend Mila, who shared a rented apartment with him, didn’t like pets, especially dogs.
Chris knew adding a dog to their home might cause trouble. That evening, he offered Ollie a cookie, fastened a leash on his collar, and led him home. Ollie was scared and tried to run free, but Chris calmed him down.
As they walked in, Chris worried Mila wouldn’t agree. When they arrived, Mila was furious to see a dog in the apartment. Ollie peeked from behind Chris’s legs, eyes pleading.
Mila yelled, “What is this dog doing here?” She pushed backward and said, “Get that thing out!”
“Please, he has nobody. He’s abandoned… he’s harmless. I found him at the market. Look at how sweet he is. Give him a chance. He needs someone,” Chris begged.
But Mila wasn’t convinced. “Do you want us to wake up to his barking every morning? To clean up after him? His fur will shed everywhere! I’m allergic. I don’t want bites. You can’t just bring a stray in. Take him away!”
Chris argued, “He’s friendly. Look, he won’t bite. He’s obedient—see?” He demonstrated with Ollie, who sat, shook paws, and did tricks, trying to persuade Mila.
Mila snapped, “No! If everyone loves him, they can take him. He’s only good for eating and sleeping. Don’t expect me to clean up after him or deal with fur on my clothes. And he’s not allowed in our bedroom. I’m warning you.”
Chris was partly relieved Mila agreed to keep Ollie, but he still felt uneasy. In the kitchen that night, he sat with Ollie, feeling conflicted. He’d always been a dog lover, and Ollie was more than a pet—he was a friend.
That night, he slept on the kitchen floor with Ollie curled beside him, happy to have helped the dog. But the joy only lasted one night.
The next morning, Chris called out, “Ollie, come here… where are you?” but the dog was gone. He searched everywhere—kitchen, living room—but Ollie was missing.
His heart sank. He wondered if Mila had taken Ollie away or if the dog had run off on his own. Confronting Mila, he found she hadn’t seen Ollie that morning either.
“Why would I get rid of him?” she said. “I haven’t seen him. Maybe he ran away or found his way back. You wanted him, so it’s your problem.”
Later, Mila entered the kitchen and screamed. On the table was her steak, left to thaw. She yelled at Chris, “Your dog stole my steak! He’s a thief!”
Mila laughed sarcastically, mocking Chris’s trust in Ollie the night before, and Chris started doubting himself. Had he made a mistake? Was Ollie really loyal?
He left for work disappointed, thinking he shouldn’t have brought Ollie home. On arriving at the market, he saw Ollie standing outside the bike shop, wagging his tail. The sight made him angry and regretful.
Throughout the day, Chris ignored Ollie as the dog wagged his tail, wanting attention. When lunchtime came, he refused to share his food, still upset about the steak incident. That evening, Ollie sat outside, looking sad and hungry.
Suddenly, someone threw Ollie a stale loaf of bread. Chris saw the dog excitedly grabbing it and then running away without eating. Curious, Chris decided to follow Ollie to find out where he was bringing the food.
He chased Ollie through the town until they reached a neglected outskirts neighborhood. Ollie headed to a house surrounded by sheds at the end of a lane. The house looked abandoned, and Chris wondered what Ollie was doing there.
Ollie squeezed through a small hole in the fence and approached the house on the property. Chris climbed over and saw Ollie pawing at a door. The door was locked, but Ollie dug a hole underneath it.
Chris called, “Ollie, what are you doing?” but Ollie kept pawing at the hole. Inside, he saw a German Shepherd trapped and eating the loaf of bread Ollie had brought.
Chris gasped, “He’s feeding his friend stuck inside!” Ollie whined and wagged his tail, looking guilty.
He listened to the trapped dog bark and knew he had to do something. He knocked on the door repeatedly, but no one answered. Curious about the reason for the dog’s imprisonment, Chris searched around.
All the nearby outbuildings and house windows appeared abandoned and long unused. He realized the dog had been inside for a long time and needed help. Attempts to open the house failed; doors and windows were blocked or locked.
Finally, Chris called emergency services to rescue the trapped dog and investigate the owner. While waiting, he noticed a terrible smell coming from one of the buildings. The odor indicated something was rotting inside.
The police arrived, and Chris identified himself. He explained about the trapped German Shepherd and the missing owner. Officers broke into the house, and what they found shocked him deeply.
A thin, weak German Shepherd was pulled out on a leash. It looked starved and dehydrated, missing many meals. Tears filled Chris’s eyes as he saw the dog trembling and barely able to stand.
“Max… you’re safe now,” Chris whispered, gently petting the dog he learned was named Max. He was furious at whoever had abandoned the animals.
While briefing the officers, Chris saw a team entering an outbuilding with crime scene tape and the smell of rotting flesh. Moments later, he watched as rescuers removed a decomposed body—believed to be the missing owner, Mr. Lawrence, who was long presumed dead.
The sheriff confirmed, “We’re still investigating the cause of his death. He was a heart patient living alone with these dogs. It might have been a heart attack. The dogs will be taken to shelter.”
Chris felt grief for the dogs and couldn’t leave them. He decided to adopt both and give them proper homes. Max was taken for treatment, and Ollie came home with him, knowing Mila would be upset again.
When Mila saw Ollie hiding behind Chris and looking sad, she was surprised. The dog wagged his tail and gently offered his paw to her. Tears filled her eyes, and after hearing Chris’s story, she agreed to keep Ollie and Max.
Weeks later, Chris and Mila happily welcomed Max into their family, grateful they gave him a second chance.
