I sit here, watching people walk by, and I can’t help but feel invisible. I know they see me, but their eyes quickly glance away, as if looking at me is too much. I don’t blame them. I’m not like the other dogs. My fur is patchy, my body twisted in ways it shouldn’t be. I know I’m ugly, deformed even, and that’s why people avoid me.

I wasn’t always like this. I remember a time when I was just like every other dog, full of life and energy. People would smile at me, stop to pet me, and tell me how cute I was. But after the accident, everything changed. My body never healed the way it should have, and now I’m left with scars that run deeper than my skin. The world sees me as something broken, something not worth their attention.

I watch as families come to the shelter, their eyes lighting up when they see the puppies, or the dogs with bright eyes and wagging tails. They hardly glance in my direction. I try not to take it personally, but it’s hard. I want so badly to be loved, to have someone see beyond my appearance. But deep down, I know the truth: I’m not what people are looking for.

I know they’ll ignore me because I’m ugly and deformed. It’s not their fault, really. We all want things that are beautiful, things that make us feel good. And I’m not that. I see the pity in their eyes when they do look at me, but pity isn’t what I need. I just want someone to see me, the real me, underneath the scars and the twisted limbs. I may not look like much, but I have so much love to give.

I don’t know if that day will ever come. Sometimes, I imagine what it would be like to be chosen, to feel a hand on my head that doesn’t pull away in discomfort, to hear a voice that calls me theirs. But until then, I’ll keep sitting here, hoping that one day, someone will look past the surface and see the dog that still believes in love, even when the world has forgotten to give it to me.

It hurts, this feeling of being unwanted. But I’ll keep waiting, even if it takes forever. Because even if I’m ugly and deformed, I still have a heart that longs to be loved. And maybe, just maybe, someone will see that one day.