Before
Sheepy was a dog toy, he knew that because it said so on his label but he had never actually met a real live dog and because of this he thought of himself as worthless.
Sheepy had been brought from the local veterinary store by a boy named Vinny Vicars for a friend who had recently gotten a rescue dog. The owner of the new dog didn’t really like dog toys and so it was that Sheepy had been unwrapped and then immediately put into the miscellaneous cupboard of his friend’s house.
A few months later when he was cleaning out his cupboards Sheepy was unearthed, popped into a box and transported to Mrs. Hopes Second Chance Emporium.
During
There was a large basket full of toys for both cats and dogs in the corner of the shop and this is where he was placed. However, he was quite small and so he quickly fell through the other toys to find himself at the very bottom of the basket and because of this he was often overlooked. He tried in vain to move himself further up the basket but it was an impossible task. He was however able to talk with all the other toys and found out that many of them had met either a real-life cat or wonder of wonders - a dog! They all had lovely stories of what they had done with their pets and even though some of them had eyes or ears missing they assured Sheepy that this was to be expected and it didn’t hurt at all. In fact, he was told that the more licked and chewed a toy was equated to how much it was loved by the pet.
There was one other toy who had also found himself at the bottom of the basket whose name was Squeaky because when you pressed his tummy he squeaked. There were a number of toys that squeaked in this way but because Squeaky had been there the longest he had bagged the name. Squeaky was actually shaped like a dog and he had half an ear missing and very well licked legs. He told Sheepy that he had belonged to a lovely puppy named Miss Sparkles who had loved taking Squeaky in her mouth for journeys around the house. Secretly Sheepy was a bit scared of dog’s teeth but Squeaky assured him that it didn’t hurt a jot to be in the mouth of a dog and he had been able to see all around the house which a number of the other dog toys had never done. As you know Mrs. Hope finds a home for all her treasures and even though Sheepy knew that he did begin to wonder if he might be the exception to that rule. In truth he did stay in the emporium for almost two years so you can understand why he felt that way.
One cloudy Monday that all changed! A boy named Glen came into the emporium holding onto his Mum’s hand and when Mrs. Hope enquired what they were looking for they replied that they were looking for a dog toy for a brand-new puppy named Finn. They were shown the basket in the corner and it was left up to Glen to find just the right toy. Glen was a very orderly boy who wanted to make an informed decision and the only way to achieve that was to take all the toys out of the basket to see all the options. He started to do this and made two neat piles, one for cat toys and one for dogs. Eventually he came to the bottom of the basket where he found Squeaky and Sheepy and so for the first time in a long time they were able to feel the carpet on the floor and see all the wonders of the emporium for themselves because until then they had only glimpses of their wee corner. Glen laid out all the dog toys and then looked solemnly at each toy and finally Sheepy was considered and found to be just what he was looking for.
Sheepy quickly said his goodbyes to the other toys while he was taken to the counter to be purchased. Mrs. Hope told Glen that this particular toy had been waiting a long time to find his forever home and she was glad he had chosen him. Glen asked why she was so glad and she replied that Sheepy looked as though he was brand new and had never been played with. Sheepy was popped into a brown bag and handed over the counter to his new owner, he really did think it was the very best day of his short life thus far and he was both excited and nervous to meet a real dog in person and not just a dog but his dog!
After
The rescue dog was a black and white ten-week-old puppy who had been picked up the day before. He was taken home to live with a new family and had been named Finn by Glen who fell in love with him the moment he saw his wee face. Finn felt much the same way about Glen and was delighted when he was taken to bed only to find that Glen didn’t mind if he hopped up on the bed to nap with him. The only thing that had not happened the way his Mum had told him was a toy of his very own.
When he woke up on a cloudy Monday, he had no idea that this was the day he would meet Sheepy. Glen and his Mum got into the car and Finn was strapped into the back seat and off they went to Mrs. Hopes Second Chance Emporium to find a toy. Glen and his Mum went into the store and they were in there for what felt like a very long time. Finn was just worrying about peeing in the car when they came back with HIS toy. Sheepy was placed in Finn’s car seat and to begin with they just stared at each other for a while. Then Finn made the first move and licked Sheepy’s nose. It broke the tension and made Sheepy giggle.
From that day on both Sheepy and Finn went everywhere together. When Finn had to go to the vets for an operation Sheepy went with him. If he had bad dreams in the middle of the night about random dogs that stole his bone and then ran away, he would wake with a start and cuddle in a little closer to his friend. Sheepy on the other hand was just as delighted about the new arrangement. Over the years other toys were added to Finn’s collection and they were all kept tidally in a box but whenever Finn came to choose a toy Sheepy was always on the top of the pile and if he wasn’t then Finn would pull out all the toys in order to find him. He had gone from the bottom of a basket to the top of the box!
There is only one thing more to tell you about Sheepy and Finn and it’s this. Glen had a little sister who wanted a kitten and so when she was old enough, she was taken to the SPCA to pick one out. On the way home they stopped at the Emporium to get a toy for the cat and she chose Squeaky even though he was not technically a cat toy and so Sheepy and Squeaky go to live together with owners they loved and who loved them back.