«I’m going to sue you! Your dog attacked my child!” the woman screamed, storming into the yard, her face contorted with rage. She held a sobbing little girl in her arms, clutching her stomach where a visible scratch was evident.

I froze, shocked. My dog, Rocky, was lying calmly by the flowerbed, tail wagging gently. We’d had him for nearly five years—smart, gentle, and never once aggressive. Yet here was this woman accusing him of something he could never do. Her voice was filled with terror, as if we were harboring a vicious beast. She had already called the police and demanded that the «dangerous» dog be put down immediately.

I was shaking with a mix of fear and confusion but tried to remain calm.

«My dog wouldn’t hurt anyone,» I said, trying to steady my voice. «He’s friendly and loves children. Maybe your daughter did something. If you don’t believe me, we have a security camera. Would you like to see what happened?»

The police officers agreed, and we went inside. The camera above the door covered the entire yard, including the area where the incident had occurred.

We started playing the footage.

There was Rocky, lying peacefully by the bench, watching sparrows flutter by. A few moments later, the woman and her daughter entered the yard. The rest of the story is on the next page, go to the next page…