Andy poked his finger into the paper bag. Nothing. It was all gone. He took Sally’s head between his two calloused palms and stroked her fur. 

“Sorry, buddy,” he whispered. 

The cement bridge post he was leaning against made the cold even colder until it seeped into every part of Andy’s body. Sally put her head between her paws and lifted up her luminous brown eyes.

It hadn’t always been this way. Andy and Sally had always had food and warmth until four years ago when their lives started to run on empty. Andy lost his job and no one else wanted him; he was too erratic and often drunk.

Sally whined and licked his sleeve. On the bridge above, street musicians were playing. Andy was immune. 
“C’mon Sally, let’s get up and move around.” 

Sally‘s tail waved; walking sometimes meant food. 

Andy put the tattered blanket into the black plastic garbage bag. He had a Bible too.

Two and one-half pounds had been dropped into his bowl. That meant lunch, if he planned carefully. Sally barked and got up on all fours. 

Andy removed his hat and drew a comb through his hair. Restaurants were so picky these days even the fast food ones. 

“C’mon girl.” 

Sally bounded after him. 

“Isn’t that a beautiful dog? Do you think that man feeds him enough? He looks like a beggar! Strangers’ words reached his ears, but Andy paid no attention; he was used to hearing comments like this.

Shoppers were crowding the streets, their unwieldy packages swinging at precarious angles. The lights glistened and merchandised beckoned from every window. 

Andy remembered when he had been able to afford luxuries for his wife, Ellen and their two daughters. All before the horrible day ten years ago, when life came to a screeching halt and a drunk driver had cut short the lives of his family. 

The fact that the man was in prison did little to assuage Andy’s pain. Sally had been a Christmas present for the girls. They had come running downstairs that Christmas morning as he and Ellen came out of the kitchen with the puppy, Sally. Oh, the wonderment and joy on their faces…

The door to Tony’s Café loomed in front of them. A lady in a long fur coat came out and stopped before Sally. “Oh, what a beautiful dog!” She looked at Andy. “Sir, don’t be offended, but I could take care for him for you.”

Andy didn’t answer. He simply went inside. It smelled of roasted coffee and cinnamon. He took his place in line. Sally crunched down beside him. 

Andy carefully looked at the menu board and then at his money. Two and one-half pounds. He ordered two hamburgers and a cup of coffee for himself. Sally put her paws on Andy’s thighs, her tongue hanging out.

“Down, girl…just a minute.” 

Andy passed through the revolving door. The street musicians were coming this way. Three of them…a tuba, a French horn and a clarinet. There had been a time when he, Ellen and the two girls would empty their change into the kettle. 

Sally and Andy made their way back down under the bridge. Edger was there now. 

He dropped by from time to time mostly to sleep it off and ask Andy where the nearest soup kitchen was located. He raised his bottle in a silent salute. 

Andy put his blanket down and sat down while Sally sniffed the bag hungrily. 

“Ah, girl. Here you are.” 

He put one burger down on the ground and Sally attacked it with vigor.

The steam came up from the coffee cup and warmed his hands. It was going to be a cold night. Snowflakes had started to drift down. Andy fell into an uneasy doze. 

It was around midnight when he awoke. Sally was curled up beside him. Sleep came a little easier and Andy awoke to a cold grey dawn. Under the bridge it was slushy while above the flakes were falling steadily. 

Andy moved. Every muscle was in an aching position. He turned to his side to rub against Sally. There was only air where once Sally had been. He sat up abruptly. Sally had never run off. 

Edgar was still in a stupor a few yards away.

“Edgar, Edgar,” shouted Andy…”Where’s Sally?”

Edgar moaned.

“Edgar”!

“WHA”, 

“Sally, where’s Sally?”

“Took her.”

“Took her? Who took her?”

“Big car.”

That was all he was going to get out of Edgar who had once again fallen asleep against a stone pillar. 

The traffic increased through the underpass, mercilessly showering Andy with frigid water.

In a panic he got up and ran. Ran out from under the bridge and down the block. It was early yet and the shoppers were not out in force.

He ran down the next block and next. Pedestrians made room for him. He knew exactly where he was going. He had been there often enough. 

Precinct 56 was right in the center of the shopping district. The sergeant at the desk looked up and gave Andy a nod. “Hello, Andy.”

Without preamble, Andy rushed the words out, “Did someone find a dog? She’s a Golden retriever…with a red collar.” 

“No, I don’t think so. Least not since I’ve been here. Sean,” he yelled to the desk clerk, “has a dog been turned in?” He leaned over to Andy and asked, “When did it go missing?”

“Sometime during the night. I was asleep”

“Maybe it just wandered off. Dogs do that, ya know.”

“Not Sally.” 

“OK, “the sergeant said wearily, “Fill out the form and we’ll see what we can do.” He handed the form to Andy. He looked up as a man with a laptop came through the doors. “Lo Leo, what’s happening today?” 

“That’s what I’m here to ask you!” 

“Not much action, just a bunch of drunks and a missing dog.” 

“This guy’s dog?” He pointed to Andy who had just risen from a chair.

“You’ve seen my dog?” 

“No, but I’m a Times reporter. I’ll keep my eyes open. You homeless, buddy?

“Yep”. 

“How long have you had the dog?”

“Ten years.”

Leo whistled. “Long time. Did he just disappear?”

“I woke up this morning and she was gone.” 

Andy gave Leo Sally’s description.

“Oh, oh, wait I’ve got a picture. Here,” as he pulled it out of his wallet. 

“Wait a minute. I’ll go to a printer and have some posters made up and if anyone has seen Sally they can contact Sergeant O’ Brien here.” 

True to his word, Leo emerged fifteen minutes later with a stack of posters. Each had LOST printed in big letters above a picture of Sally. 

“How can I thank you?” Andy said, “I can’t pay you.” 

“Naaw, that’s OK. I can see where the dog is of great importance to you. I have one myself.

For the next four days, memories of the family swirled in and out of Andy’s head. 

“Mebbe,” rationalized Edgar, “someone took her because they thought you couldn’t care for her.”

Strangers stopped by to ask if Andy had heard anything yet. The local shoppers association put up a reward for the return of Sally. Some one handed him a prepaid phone card with a telephone number so people could call him if they heard anything. Most of the calls expressed sympathy, but little else. 

Someone had put up a, Help Find Me…Reward, sign with each of Sally’s pictures. On the morning of the fifth day, the sun put on a sparkling display.

A black sedan splattered slush as it moved along the street and towards the underpass. It stopped at the entrance. A woman, oblivious to the traffic behind her, got out and opened the back door. Out jumped a dog. Without pausing even to breathe, the dog made a wild leap and ran into the underpass and jumped into Andy’s arms. Tears came down Andy’s cheeks. 

It made the headlines that night. Sally had been taken because a stranger thought she deserved a better life. She had gone to the underpass and lured Sally away with a simple piece of meat. 

After reading about Andy and Sally…well, she just couldn’t keep her. And she certainly wasn’t keeping the reward money. The woman gave it to Andy. 

Andy took it all as a sign Ellen would want him to “Clean up his act” and not wallow in self-pity. A couple of job offers came in for Andy because of the newspaper story. One thing led to another and soon became a rented room over a garage. 

Andy knew he couldn’t go back to the grandeur of his life with Ellen and the girls. That living style was gone; he didn’t need it. He and Sally were doing just fine.