When the crowd laughed, something old and sharp tugged at Sam. Not anger, exactly—recognition, solidarity. The quiet resolve that had once driven him to publish the truth. He understood then why he was there, and he knew he wasn’t going to look away. Quickly, perhaps even rashly, he decided he would give the animal a home.
The paperwork shifted tone as soon as the decision was made. Words like “unfit,” “non-performing,” and “below standard” were stamped and repeated. The failure was framed as the animal’s inefficiency, as if the dog were faulty equipment that hadn’t met specifications.