The night was silent except for the low hum of my motorcycle engine as I pulled over near an old bridge at 3 AM to check a loose chain. The road was empty, the air cool and still, until I heard a soft whimper cutting through the darkness. Following the sound, I found a Golden Retriever chained to the bridge railing.
She was thin, exhausted, and had a large swelling on her belly.
Beside her sat a bowl of water and a worn stuffed duck, its fabric faded from years of love. Her breathing was shallow, yet when she saw me, her tail thumped weakly against the ground.
Attached to her collar was a folded note. It read: “I can’t afford to put her down.
Please don’t let her suffer.” My heart tightened, but it was the second note tucked behind it that stopped me cold.
It was written in a child’s handwriting, in crayon on lined notebook paper. “Please save Daisy. She’s all I have left.
Daddy says she has to die but I know angels ride motorcycles.
I prayed you’d find her. There’s $7.43 in her collar.
It’s all my tooth fairy money. Please don’t let her die alone.