The dog is spoiled rotten. I'm glad to see the change, actually, from the terrified creature that it started as to the entitled silken-furred beggar that it has become. Such a rough start as Jack had deserves a rich finish.

Jack snoops into each of the knitting Aunties' bags when they arrive for class. He learned this from a handful of women who consistently bring him a new toy or treat when they visit. He also stares at them until they finish off a plastic bottle of water or soda, waiting for it to be loaded with his regular food and bits of treats as a toy. Some of the women have gotten into the habit of guzzling their beverages just to get the dog his recycled toy as soon as possible. The dog is spoiled rotten.

One of our regulars, Jesus, was in yesterday. He watched as Charlie doled out dried chicken strips to Jack each time he asked to go out and do his business. Charlie started watching Jesus more closely, wondering what his interest was in this exchange, and worrying a little for Jack because Jesus is also always hungry. Jesus was looking at Jack like a steak.

Shortly after this strange stare-down, Jesus asked, "Charlie, those beefs you have over there," referring to the chicken strips in the cookie jar decorated with dogs playing and topped with a ceramic dog-bone handle, "Are those for people?"

"Oh, they're chicken." Charlie corrected. "And they're for the dog."

"You know what?" Jesus grinned, "I been eating them for a month or more now."

Charlie laughed. She couldn't help it: Jesus had been getting into her snacks for months now without asking permission, so it seemed like a form of justice that Jesus had ingested dog treats because of not asking first.

"Ohmygod, I was thinking that they was some sort of health food, you know?" Jesus continued. "No salt, like that. Ohmygod, seriously."

Charlie laughed harder and then said the strangest thing, "Oh, Jesus, I'm sorry!"

"That's alright," Jesus continued the strange reversal of apologies and forgiveness, "I been taking 'em home for a while now and eating 'em for snacks, thinking they was health food or something. You oughta try 'em, Charlie, they last for a while. You know? You chew and chew..."

Charlie just laughed and promised to tell Jesus' story to everyone. As Jesus left, he let out a little bark and exclaimed, "Oh! They changing me!!"

In telling the knitter Maria about the dog treats and Jesus, Maria muttered, "Such a Mexican, eating the dog food."

Charlie protested the self-slander of Maria's race, "Oh no, no, it's not like that. Jesus has addiction problems and he loses everything often. He's almost homeless. So, I imagine that he is hungry a lot of the time."

When Maria tried again to make a racial comment, Charlie shifted the focus. "There are so many aspects of the story that surprise me, but I think the most astounding is that he admitted to pocketing a bunch of the meat for snacks."

Maria laughed, "What are you complaining about? He stole your Dog Snacks!!"