A few curtains had moved in nearby houses.
A man across the street stood on his porch holding a phone but hadn’t raised it all the way.
An older woman watched from behind a screen door.
Nobody spoke.
Jack looked down at the dog.
Up close, it was worse.
The animal was medium-sized, maybe fifty pounds when healthy, though he weighed far less now. Brown coat with black along the muzzle and back. Ribs plainly visible. Fur missing in patches around the neck and hindquarters. One rear leg stiff when he moved.
There had been an overturned plastic container nearby, dry enough to have dirt caked inside it.
The dog pressed his face harder into Jack’s shoulder.
Jack swallowed.
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