But on that particular morning I couldn’t help but notice this guy who looked homeless. He had a Pit Bull Terrier who was leashed and they were just standing there, off to themselves, both looking a bit rough. I could see the old military fatigues he was wearing and got the impression from his age and demeanor that he might be a veteran. So with Maggie involved in a baby conversation with Layla, I decided to go over to this guy and introduce myself.

As I approached him, he nervously glanced over towards me and said, “I wouldn’t get too close, mister. My dog, she bites. She doesn’t like people!”

I froze in my tracks, noticing the dog was indeed focused on me in a rather intense way, and I said, “Oh, that’s okay, I like dogs!”

The guy said, “Okay, you’ve been warned!”

I walked a little closer and kept myself behind and to the left of the dog. I said, “I haven’t seen you here before. My name’s Jim.” Extending my hand, the dog turned and took an aggressive step towards me.

The kid in the fatigues didn’t shake my hand, but he did say, “My name’s Billy!”