Logs:Seeking Companionship

Seeking Companionship
Dramatis Personae Sam, Steve, Toni
In Absentia	2023-01-14 "Be happy to talk to you --"
Location <NYC> New Leash on Life - Kingsbridge
New Leash's new home in the Bronx has come a long way from its humble origins, spacious and well-lit and and clean. There's patch of artificial turf out front, an actual lobby, and the kennels are still kennels but generously sized, with blocks separated out animals with high anxiety, reactivity, or need of quarantine for whatever reason. The fenced area out back has modular barriers and plentiful play equipment, but volunteers still regularly take the dogs out alone or in small groups at all hours of the day. There are also offices, a break room for the volunteers and paid staff, and even a consultation area where people can meet and interact their prospective four-legged adoptees. Steve has just arrived back with an oddly shaped pug mix whose bulging eyes seem to roll with disdain every time he looks up, an expression all the more humorous for the silliness of his face. "This fella," he informs Sam earnestly, "just tried to eat one of those new-fangled e-scooters." He stoops down to scruff the dog's ears, earning an (adoring!) eye-roll. "Not sure it qualifies as an 'incident', though. He didn't have any success or seem very committed to it." Sam has been holding down the fort during this walk -- which, in an absence of actual visitors to greet, has mostly meant tossing a ball back and forth across the front room for an eager young boxer who shows no signs of losing interest in this activity. At Steve's announcement he underhands the ball lazily towards the back down and crouches, chucking the little pug under the chin. "I'm gonna have to write you up," he tells the dog, Very Seriously. "On top of this morning with your water bowl -- gonna have to look into some serious disciplinary action." Is 'disciplinary action' extra pettings? Because that is what the pug is receiving. While the dog is getting this very stern reprimand, the door is opening again, letting in a gust of cold air and a small Black woman, dressed in elegantly tailored red dress with tall black boots and a warm coat in a blocky patchwork of different fur textures, her hair done up in an ornate maze of braids sweeping close to her head until they spill at the back into a riotous crown of poofy curls. Toni is glancing from the pug -- to Steve, her eyes stuttering there with a light of recognition, a small upward pull of neatly-shaped brows, a small O forming at her lips. If she's starstruck or not, it is soon pushed away as she's looking to Sam instead, broad smile blossoming across her face. "Can't say that dog looks real cowed." There's amusement there, and just the faintest hint of a Southern accent. "Are you gentlemen who I speak to about adding one of these little ones to my home?" "Welcome!" Steve says, straightening up with a smile for their guest and without much apparent sympathy for the punishment Sam is bestowing on the dog. "Rumba here isn't much afraid of anything. Even things he probably ought to concerned about." He glances at Sam, then back at Toni, thoughtful. "We'd be happy to help you with that, Miss. What kind of pet are you looking for? Whether you need to find one who fits your living situation or free time or if you just have preferences." The boxer is returning with the ball, now -- though not dropping it for Sam, too intrigued by the new visitor. The dog's whole body is set a-wiggle, stumpy tail flicking fast and ludicrous gremlin underbite only exaggerated by the ball still protruding from her jaw as she snuffles her short snout up against Toni's coat. "Yeah, we got some real hardened reprobates up in here." Sam's smile is bright in return. "Be happy to talk to you --" There's just a beat of pause here as he straightens too, wiping his hand (now slightly damp -- pugs' faces seem to be interminably drooly) against his jeans. "-- about the dogs. Plenty of them looking for a home." Toni tips her head slightly to one side at that small pause, smile warming. "Mmm, well, my oldest's just been making preschool friends who have dogs at their house and is starting to ask if we can get one, too, but I didn't want to give him an answer until I sussed out what's involved there. He's just coming up on five so any dog's going to be my responsibility until he can grow into it." Toni has tipped her head down to scrutinize the wriggly boxer, amusement brightening her face at the dog's funny smushed-up nose. She plucks a glove off one hand, then lowers it to scritch at the boxer's head with deep red nails. "You all keep pets? I mean, yourselves, obviously here you have plenty." "Oh, My Zenobia is a New Leash grad! Giant pitbull, strong as an ox but sweet as anything." Steve's smile goes a little brighter and less polished, talking about his dog. "But yes! We have a whole list of kid-friendly dogs." He retrieves a tablet from the reception desk. "Bebe over there is one of them." He indicates the boxer leaning into Toni's hand, wiggling all the enthusiastically for the attention. "She's got a lot of energy, which is great if you want a jogging companion, though there's plenty of homebodies back there, too." He holds the tablet out for Sam. "I gotta go put a note in Rumba's file about his latest shenanigans, but maybe Sam can go over some likely candidates with you?" Sam's brows quirk up at Toni's mention of her eldest, but his smile hasn't faded. "Oh, I make do with showering Zenobia in love when Steve's not around." He takes the tablet from Steve with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Yeah, we had just been talking 'bout keeping his incident log up to date. -- but you want to have a seat over here, miss, I am more than happy to talk over what kinda company would fit in your life."