the dog

They named the dog Hazard, because in a way it – he – was. He didn‘t come home from the pound named Hazard. His first given name was Doug – Doug the Dog. But he ended up underfoot so often as a pup that he was soon re-named “Hazard.” Hazard was blackish brown with an orange nose. Yes, orange. He had floppy ears and feet that were made for a much larger dog so that he sort of “sluffed” around, as Mary would say. The best thing about Hazard was that he didn’t smell, even when he got wet. Celeste called that “a miracle.” Hazard was Harry’s dog, really. And that was OK with everyone. Harry needed that sort of companionship. He was an odd sort of kid. Loveable, but a bit distressingly so, especially to a parent, odd.