The dog park was supposed to be freedom.
A large fenced area.
No leash.
Space to run.
Dogs everywhere.
Toby was finally free to play.
Except Toby did not play like other dogs.
While everyone else ran, wrestled, and chased balls, Toby walked. He sniffed. He observed. He analyzed. He moved slowly, like royalty inspecting its domain. He did not waste energy. He did not engage in nonsense. He was there to assess.
Everything was calm.
Everything was peaceful.
And then it happened.
A delivery car drove by.
Not just any delivery car.
A red Benny & Co rotisserie chicken delivery car.
With the iconic chicken comb sitting proudly on top of the roof.
The audacity.
Somewhere deep inside Toby’s soul, something snapped.
How dare they.
How dare they transport chicken.
And how dare it not be for him.
In that exact moment, Toby abandoned all dignity.
He launched himself across the dog park like a man on a mission. Barking aggressively at the moving car, running full speed along the fence line, completely convinced that if he barked hard enough, the chicken would surrender itself.
Thank God the fences were tall.
And solid.
And long.
The delivery driver slowed down, clearly confused. One moment delivering chicken, the next being chased by an enraged black poodle screaming accusations through metal fencing.
People at the dog park stopped.
Dogs paused mid play.
Humans laughed.
Some looked worried.
The driver looked back, trying to understand why a poodle was yelling at his vehicle with such conviction.
Toby did not care.
Bark bark.
Bak bak.
Honestly, it was unclear what language he was speaking.
But the message was obvious.
“I want my chicken.”
He chased that car as far as the fence allowed. When it finally disappeared from view, Toby stopped abruptly, stood still, and stared at the empty road with deep disappointment.
He had failed.
No chicken.
No justice.
Only betrayal.
Then, as if nothing had happened, Toby turned around, sniffed the grass, and resumed his slow royal walk through the park.
Mission attempted.
Standards upheld.
Classic Toby.
Free to play.
Chose chaos instead.