Woman Offers To Walk Neighbor’s Dog Unaware He’s Not A Dog
Something Wrong
Tracy had followed all of the special requests her neighbor gave her on the slip of paper. But things were only getting stranger as the days went on.
The neighbors had told her that their dog was a special animal, but she never thought it would be anything like this. It was only on their walk that she noticed something seriously wrong.
A Peculiar Dog
Even though they told her that he was a border collie, Tracy didn’t entirely believe his owners. He had to have some other breed crossed with him – what else would explain his huge size?
But there was more than just his size that concerned her. The strangest thing about him was the noises he made. She had never heard a dog make noises like this before. Unfortunately, she had no idea what he really was.
A Normal Walk
Despite her reservations about the animal, Tracy kept doing the duty she had promised to her neighbors. The money in her pockets reminded her that she had a job to do.
She put the lead on the animal and beckoned him to the door; he excitedly bowed and went on his way. Tracy even noticed the way he walked was strange, but things were about to take a turn for the worst.
Walking On Sunshine
Tracy and Bullet walked out of the front gate and onto the pavement. The excited dog pulled at the lead, but this was something she was used to. She didn’t blame the dog; oftentimes, they acted differently when their owners weren’t around.
The two walked on the pavement, and Tracy’s plan was to go a few blocks and then bring him back. But things weren’t going to end how she thought they would.
Tragedy
Tracy was nearly finished with the walk when something she could never have anticipated happened. The bullet was excitedly hopping in front of her when he landed in an odd way.
She heard a sickening tear and pop that churned her stomach. She rushed to the border collie to see what had happened, but when she saw that his shoulder had torn, her heart raced.
Not As It Seems
Tracy felt dread creep over her as she imagined having to rush the animal to the vet. Was he going to be okay? It was clear that he was in bad shape, but she had to check in on him.
As she got closer, the tears in his skin made her want to vomit. But then she noticed there was no blood. After that, she heard something that startled her. A man out of nowhere said, “What are you doing?”
Tracy Argyle
Tracy Argyle grew up in Wisconsin with her parents. The aspiring teen studied hard and even made sure that she had a bit of money from doing odd jobs in her spare time.
Her favorite job was being a dog sitter and dog walker. She loved animals with every fiber of her being and never hesitated at the opportunity to look after someone’s beloved pet.
A Job Offer Like Any Other
Tracy had been studying hard for her finals when she realized that she didn’t have any money. Her parents made sure she was fed and had a roof over her head, but she wanted more.
Just as the ambitious girl started thinking about finding some work, her neighbors coincidentally needed someone desperately so they could go on vacation. It was hard to pass it up.
Needed Help
Tracy heard about the job through her mother. She decided to extend a helping hand. It was a win-win, she’d get paid, and they would get the help they needed, but she didn’t know what it was for yet.
They asked her to come over to the house, and they’d explain the details. Tracy knocked on their door and was ushered inside. The neighbors were an older couple that seemed sweet enough.
Dog Sitting
Tracy looked around, but she didn’t see any child or animal. Did they just need her to look after the house? That’s when they explained everything. They told her she’d be looking after their border collie, Bullet.
Tracy’s eyes lit up. She was always the happiest when she got to look after a pooch. It sometimes didn’t even feel fair getting paid when she enjoyed it so much. But she was unaware of what the dog really was.
Too Good To Pass Up
“Now, let’s talk about fees, shall we?” The middle-aged man said before winking. He pulled out a huge envelope and handed it to Tracy. Her eyes went big. It felt like a lot of money.
She didn’t even dare open it; instead, the old man said, “It’s $500 to look after him for the week.” Tracy couldn’t believe it; she certainly wasn’t going to pass up an offer like that.
Bullet
Tracy accepted the offer, but something unsettled her. She still hadn’t seen Bullet at all. She asked the couple where he was. They looked at each other before the man answered nervously.
“Oh, he’s at the groomer’s right now. We just wanted him to be as clean as possible for you. That was a good enough explanation for Tracy. But the couple was hiding something. Something she had no clue about.
Preparing Her Things
Tracy agreed to start the very next day. The couple thanked her. They said that no one else had accepted the job, and they feared they would have to cancel their vacation.
Tracy went home and prepared her things. It would be easy enough to walk to the house next door every day and check in on Bullet. But it was the walking that would end in tragedy.
Meeting Bullet
The next morning, Tracy walked out to the neighbor’s house to start her first day on the job. Their car was gone, which meant they had already left.
She pulled out the set of keys they’d given her and let herself in. She stood at the entrance and called out Bullet’s name. After a few minutes, she considered walking deeper into the house.
Coming Down
That’s when she heard a commotion upstairs, followed by a blur of fur racing down the stairs.
He stopped at the bottom and looked excited at her. There was Bullet, but was he really a border collie?
A Cross
Tracy knew her dogs, and she instantly noticed that something was off about Bullet. She could see border collie features, but he was too large, and his proportions weren’t quite right.
She deduced that he had to have been a crossbreed with something else. Something the owners probably didn’t know of. Still, he looked the loveable sort. She grabbed the leash, and they went on their way.
Their First Walk
Tracy and Bullet went on their first walk together. She wanted to make it a short one so that she could get familiar with the dog. She needed to make sure everything would run smoothly before a long walk.
The walk went well, but Tracy noticed some oddities that his owners never mentioned. The first was the constant breaks that the bullet needed to take. He’d only be able to walk for a couple of hundred yards before sitting down for a breather.
Another Oddity
Another strange oddity that Tracy noticed was the noises that Bullet made. He didn’t make any dog noise she’d heard before. Instead of a typical whine or bark, he grunted.
He sounded more like a pig than anything else. They had mentioned that he was a “special boy.” She guessed that he could have had breathing problems and had to rest often. But the truth was much more sinister than that.
Her Second Day
The second day into looking after Bullet, Tracy stood at the bottom of the stairs again and called Bullet. But this time, she wanted to see what he was doing. She climbed the stairs and noticed that all the doors were locked but one.
She slowly approached the room and pushed the ajar door open. What she saw was anything but normal.
A Kid’s Room?
The room looked just like a teenager’s. There was a single bed and a computer sitting on a desk. Posters of dogs hung up on the walls. Did they really treat their dog like a human?
Before she could investigate further, Bullet came out of the closet and excitedly wagged his tail. She smiled and took him downstairs to feed him. She forgot about the strange room for now.
A Strange Week
The next few days flew by, with Tracy coming into the house to feed and walk the dog. Finally, the last day of looking after Bullet arrived, and she decided to walk him the furthest she had yet.
She felt confident that he could do it, even if he got tired and it would take a while. It would be some good bonding time. She had no idea that she was making a huge mistake.
Their Last Walk
Tracy and Bullet walked out of the front gate and onto the pavement. The excited dog pulled at the lead, but this was something she was used to. She didn’t blame the dog; oftentimes, they acted differently when their owners weren’t around.
The two walked on the pavement, and Tracy’s plan was to go a few blocks and then bring him back. But things weren’t going to end how she thought they would.
A Sickening Pop
Tracy was nearly finished with the walk when something she could never have anticipated happened. The bullet was excitedly hopping in front of her when he landed in an odd way.
She heard a sickening tear and pop that churned her stomach. She rushed to the border collie to see what had happened, but when she saw that his shoulder had torn, her heart raced.
Feeling Dread
Tracy felt dread creep over her as she imagined having to rush the animal to the vet. Was he going to be okay? It was clear that he was in bad shape, but she had to check in on him.
As she got closer, the tears in his skin made her want to vomit. But then she noticed there was no blood. After that, she heard something that startled her. A man out of nowhere said, “What are you doing?”
The Shocking Truth
Tracy looked at the dog’s shoulder and realized the shocking truth. The skins and fur separated to reveal stitching. She backed away in a panic and looked around; where did she hear the voice from?
After looking back at the street and back to the dog, she heard the voice again. This time she managed to tell where it was coming from, but she didn’t want to believe it.
Inside The Dog
The muffled voice was coming from inside Bullet. But was Bullet even real? Tracy mustered up all of her courage and got closer to the animal. She put her hand on the “wound” and started pulling it further apart.
She didn’t hear any whimpers of pain, and the stitching separated easily. Clearly, none of this was even real. After a good deal of pulling, she couldn’t believe what she found.
A Suit
The dog was actually nothing but a suit. But there was still something living inside. Tracy got the outfit off and was shocked to discover that it was a young man. He seemed as startled as her.
“What is going on!?” A shocked and confused Tracy asked. There was no explanation for something like this. But the man in the suit would try his best.
Being A Dog
“I put on this suit because I identify as a dog sometimes,” The nervous man told her. He explained that he was the old couple’s son, and they supported him in his decision.
It was crazy, and Tracy wished she could understand it. It was too weird for her to completely comprehend, but then she remembered the room; it all made sense now.
Taking Him Home
Tracy was still suspicious and confused, but she at least decided to take the young man back to his house. He was still their son, after all, and she was really paid to look after him.
She dropped him off and told him she’d talk to his parents about this. She went home and tried processing everything that had happened to her that day. Would she ever understand?
A Strange Condition
When the couple got back from their vacation the next day, Tracy decided to knock on their door and talk to them about it. She could tell by their faces that their son had already told them everything.
They apologized and said that their son just had a strange condition. He really liked pretending to be a dog, and why should anyone else care if it didn’t affect them? Tracy seemed to sympathize with the idea. It made no difference to her; she was paid. She told them she wouldn’t tell anyone else and went home. It was a secret she’d keep with her for the rest of her life.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.