Finnian is a seventh-grader at Browns River Middle School in Jericho. He read this piece, "Dog’s Perspective," at the Burlington Book Festival on September 21 as one of 14 writers from the Young Writers Project. This piece is also featured in YWP’s latest Anthology 6, which has just been published.
Dog’s Perspective
By Finnian Abbey
Grade Seven, Browns River Middle School
Dear Department for Unappreciated Canines,
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m “Cookie Sugardrops” or just “Cookie” for short. I mean I’m a boy dog; could they at least do “Rusty?”
I’m the Jackson family dog. Over on Willow Street. They think life as a dog is easy, but it’s not. You know what it’s really like.
First, let’s start with the living conditions: I live in a nice, little house and I roam around protecting it, except for the cellar where I can’t go. But that’s not enough. I want to live outside in a doghouse. But whenever someone brings that up, my owner always says, “I’ll get around to that later.” It’s so annoying!
Also there’s the food. I mean, look at it. It’s brown and crusty and smelly and unappetizing and ughh, it makes me want to gag! They grimace when they look at it. Why do my owners think I like it any better? See these pointy teeth? Yeah, these. They’re called canines; they’re for meat. I’m not a cow. I want to eat cows.
Plus there’s a cat. Yes, always a cat. I’m cliché, but I just don’t like the way he looks at me.
Please help me,
Cookie Sugardrops Jackson
Learn more about the Young Writers Project.
