Doggins: Inclusion, my dear Ruffyard, is not just a human need. It is the heartbeat of every pack. Dogs know this: our strength comes from running together, not apart.
Ruffyard: Bold words, Doggins. But tell me, don’t packs also exclude? The stray on the corner, the old hound too stiff to keep up, the nervous pup who lingers at the edge.
Doggins: True. But that is the very lesson I wish to share. I once met a terrier, a scruffy fellow named Rusty, standing apart in Rosebery Park. His tail was curled so tight it seemed to guard his very heart.
Ruffyard: Ah yes. The one who waits at the fence, watching joy but not daring to leap into it.
Doggins: Just so. I padded over, slow and gentle. A sniff, a bow, an invitation. At first, nothing. Then his tail loosened, his eyes brightened. And soon he was racing beside me, ears flying. All he needed was to be seen, to be welcomed.
Ruffyard: You speak as though the smallest gesture is key.
Doggins: It is. Friendship is warmth, the quilt that keeps the cold at bay. Without it, a dog shivers even in the sun.
Ruffyard: And yet, aren’t we all stitched of different cloths? The greyhound, fleeting as a gust; the bulldog, steadfast as stone; the retriever, tireless at fetch. Each dog is unlike the other.
Doggins: Exactly. Alone, we have limits. Together, we are complete. The quilt is strong because its patches differ.
Ruffyard: And what of conflict? Packs tumble, teeth flash, games grow rough. How do we hold unity then?
Doggins: With practice. When play grows harsh, pause. Wag once. Lower your stance. Call joy back in. Belonging is not an accident. It is a choice, renewed each day.
Ruffyard: You make it sound like poetry, Doggins. Notice the quiet one. Share what is good. Celebrate differences. Keep the circle open.
Doggins: Precisely. More paws make the thunder louder. More voices turn a bark into a chorus.
Ruffyard: And in this chorus, no one waits at the edge alone?
Doggins: That’s my dream. A park where every bark finds an answer, every wag a return wag. A pack where courage grows from company and no one is cast adrift.
Ruffyard: Then perhaps you’re right, my golden friend. Belonging is not a gift bestowed by the strong. It is a strength that we can all share.
Doggins: Indeed. And tomorrow, when I shake out my fur and stretch in the morning sun, I’ll choose it again. Because in my pack, everyone belongs.