I run a pet clinic and often treat stray animals. After stumbling upon a mysterious online forum, I discovered they revere me as their "Godmother." Scar_the_Ranger: [The Godmother’s getting off work. Who’s on escort duty?] The_Bitty_Brawler: [Pausing my sparring match. I’ll go.] Ambassador_of_Good_Taste: [Treasure hunt canceled. I’ll go.] Mount_Mochi: [Date postponed. I’ll go.] Cheeseburger: [Mouse hunt called off. I’ll go.] I looked out the door at the neat rows of cats and dogs, all standing at attention. No wonder my walk home at night was never lonely. 1 I own a small veterinary clinic called "The Healing Paw." Most days, the paws I heal belong to cats and dogs. When work is slow, I also treat the stray cats and dogs in the neighborhood. Of course, my services aren't exactly free. The animals I treat often pay a terrible price. Neutering. You’d think that after "the snip," the cats and dogs would be psychologically scarred by my clinic and grow to despise me. But surprisingly, the number of new faces only increased, while the old ones became regulars. Lately, even perfectly healthy cats and dogs have been loitering around the clinic. Some have even been tailing me, their movements furtive and suspicious. I suspected they were forming a gang to case the joint, planning some kind of massive revenge plot. But when I looked closer, their big, clear eyes held no trace of malice. Their strange behavior was utterly baffling. 2 During dinner, I noticed a strange new app on my phone. The name was a string of gibberish, and the icon was a single paw print. It looked suspiciously like some kind of scam software. But my anti-fraud app didn't raise any alarms. Curiosity and fear wrestled in my mind, but curiosity won out. What could a scammer possibly want from a broke, single vet? With that reassuring thought, I tapped the app open and discovered it was an online forum. The posts were bizarre: • Attention! Poisoned bait at Lakeside Park! Everyone be on high alert! • Successfully snuck into the university. From now on, I'm a top cat. • Day 67 of my journey to quit eating poop. These didn't seem like they were written by people. Not even by an AI trying to act like a person. Based on the keywords, the posts seemed more like they were written by... cats and dogs. I kept scrolling, trying to confirm my theory. • The cat I hate most just got adopted by a human. I'm so jealous I could scream. • WHO THE HELL PEED ON MY TURF AGAIN? DON'T LET ME CATCH YOU! • A Guide to Gourmet Poop. Yep. The users of this forum were definitely cats and dogs. No human could possibly write a post as bizarre as "A Guide to Gourmet Poop." Considering I was still eating, I avoided that one and refreshed the forum. A new post from an administrator had just appeared: • Sign-ups for Today's Joint Cat-and-Dog Protection Squad Scar_the_Ranger: [The Godmother’s getting off work. Who’s on escort duty?] The_Bitty_Brawler: [Pausing my sparring match. I’ll go.] Ambassador_of_Good_Taste: [Treasure hunt canceled. I’ll go.] Mount_Mochi: [Date postponed. I’ll go.] Cheeseburger: [Mouse hunt called off. I’ll go.] A little while after dinner, I glanced outside. Cats and dogs stood in neat, orderly rows. Organized. Disciplined. Each one held its head high, its expression deadly serious. The more serious they looked, the more adorable they were. A thought crossed my mind. Could this be... the protection squad? 3 My apartment is close to the clinic, just a seven-minute walk. On my way home, the cats and dogs escorting me were highly trained, flanking me on all sides at a respectful distance. Perhaps because I had joined their secret forum, I could now magically understand their chatter. "Daisy, you mutt, slow down up there! The Godmother is tired after work; she can't walk that fast." The mixed-breed dog in front of me visibly slowed her pace. "But don't get too close, either. It looks too obvious." Daisy let out a low growl. "Ginger, what is your problem? Always got something to say about me!" A fight was about to break out, but the other members quickly intervened. "Alright, alright, the mission comes first! Street rules: in front of the Godmother, we keep the peace!" Two simultaneous huffs. "Fine. For the Godmother's sake, I'll let it slide!" It sounded like these were street cats and street dogs. They had their own world, their own feuds and dramas. I used to think they were just hungry and looking for a handout. Today, I learned they were on a mission to protect me. And I, somehow, had become their "Godmother." 4 I, a notorious early bird, stayed up half the night. The forum was just too fascinating. The posts were a wild mix of everything: planned rumbles, turf wars, torrid love scandals... Each one was more hilarious and explosive than the last. For example, two packs of dogs traveled miles to fight, only to discover they had friends in the opposing crew. After some negotiation, they called a truce and traveled all the way back home, their limbs aching despite not having thrown a single punch. Then there was the group of tomcats who fought tooth and nail for the affection of a beautiful calico, only to find out the calico was also a tom. As I scrolled further back, I saw my own title mentioned multiple times. • Aroo? Anyone ever made a deal with the Woman in White? Is she legit? OP: [Heard there's a woman in a white coat in the house on the corner. They say she can snatch you from the jaws of death. All you have to do is give up your... little swimmers... and you'll be safe for life. Is it true?] Reply 1: [Totally true, my dude! Her skills are top-notch, you can trust her. The word on the street is golden.] Reply 2: [Show some respect, you punk. She's not just some 'woman in white,' she's a goddess in white!] Reply 3: [Goddess? What're you, a house pet? Obviously not from the streets. We call her the Godmother!] Reply 4: [Hey, it's just giving up your baby-makers! For us strays, who can afford to raise kids anyway? Your life is more important!] Reply 5: [After you make the deal, the Godmother even lets you stay for a while and gives you a mother's care. It's so warm. My only regret is that I can't grow another pair to give her!] There were more and more posts like this. It turned out that in their eyes, ordinary me was something magnificent, practically a deity. The flood of praise was overwhelming. I drifted off to sleep feeling giddy and light-headed. In my dream, a horde of cats and dogs bowed to me dramatically, their paws clasped together. "In the city's neon glow, where a stray will stand or fall, the Godmother's got our back, she protects us all!" 5 Damn it. I slept through my alarm. When I opened my eyes again, it was almost noon. I shot out of bed and rushed to the clinic. What if a stray had gotten hurt while I was gone? I would be letting down the entire stray community! Yesterday's forum binge and that surreal dream had filled me with a sense of sacred duty. I was their Godmother, after all. As I left my building, I saw a few cats and dogs peering around corners, their heads popping in and out of view. When they saw me, their eyes lit up. "The Godmother is out! Tell everyone not to worry." "Beginning escort mission to the Godmother's workplace. Mission will be completed." So, all morning while I was gone, the entire stray population had been worried sick about me. A warm feeling spread through my chest. I quickened my pace towards the clinic. I hadn't gone far when I saw a familiar figure. It was one of my regulars, the owner of a cat named Little Meow. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face etched with anxiety as she clutched a thick stack of flyers. When she saw me, her voice choked. "Dr. Lynn, have you seen my Little Meow? "He was gone when I woke up. "I've been looking all morning. I think... I think he's 'abandoned' me." The flyer showed a picture of her grey tabby. I remembered this cat vividly. He wore a little ID tag—clearly a house cat—but he often snuck out to play with the strays. He was an incredibly smart and perceptive cat. How could he have suddenly disappeared? I patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Little Meow is a smart boy. I'm sure he'll be home before you know it." I also shared her "Missing Cat" flyer on my social media. Then, an idea struck me. The cat-and-dog forum. Maybe I could post a request for help there? 6 • Has anyone seen Little Meow? His mom is looking for him! I attached the "Missing Cat" flyer to the post. Replies flooded in almost immediately: [Pfft, who would name their cat something so cute? (This is pure malice.)] [Shame, shame, so big and still needs his mommy to find him, hahahaha sob sob sob, I'm not jealous at all!] [Hey, isn't that Scar? So his real name is Little Meow. What a contrast.] [SHOCKING! The fearsome forum admin Scar is actually named Little Meow.] [Cat-finding services, now taking orders. DM for details.] [Wait a minute... why is the OP's identity verified as... human?] [OH MY GOD, A HUMAN IS HERE!] The replies poured in, the post's popularity skyrocketed, and the forum descended into chaos. Amidst a flood of private messages questioning my identity and motives, one stood out: [Delete the post!] The sender was Scar_the_Ranger. Or, as I now knew him, Little Meow. After obediently deleting the post, I asked Scar—no, Little Meow—when he was coming home. Scar_the_Ranger: [I am getting my mom a new home.] So cool and commanding. I had a feeling he wasn't the type to cuddle with his mom. I didn't question him. I suppose I figured that a cat who could be a forum administrator must have some kind of superpower. Though I didn't get a clear answer, at least I knew Little Meow was safe. I sent a few more reassuring messages to his owner and prepared to open the clinic for the day. I had no idea the forum had already imploded. Users were demanding to know how a human had managed to infiltrate their ranks. Scar, the admin, racked his brain. "My master said... except for the one who saved his life..." Then it hit him. "The one who saved his life is the Godmother!" He quickly made a new post, informing the entire forum: Everyone, don't panic! It's the Godmother! I don't know who started it, but soon the replies were all the same: [In the city's neon glow, where a stray will stand or fall, the Godmother's got our back, she protects us all!] 7 The next time I opened the forum, my screen was filled with posts welcoming and professing their love for me: • This is great! It's the Godmother! We're saved! • All hail the Godmother! Long live the Godmother! • Godmother, we will follow you forever! • A divine doctor with sacred hands, curing cats and saving canines! The enthusiasm was overwhelming. Little Meow suggested I make a new post to say hello and share my thoughts. After some careful consideration, I earnestly typed out a title: All Un-neutered Animals, Report to Me Immediately. It was, truly, what was on my mind. I wanted to complete the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) for every cat and dog in this area. To use limited neutering to stop unlimited culling. My call to action received a massive response: [Playtime is playtime, but don't joke about the Godmother's orders.] [Getting fixed is the law. If you don't wanna, we'll make you!] [First the snip, then the pledge, then you're one of us for life.] Not long after I posted, cats and dogs started showing up. Some came willingly; others were escorted by their peers. The turnout was unprecedented. There were too many of them to perform all the surgeries at once. I categorized them by species, gender, age, and weight, assigning each a number for batch surgeries. "Everyone, remember your number. I'll post on the forum each day to let you know whose turn it is." "If anyone can't make it—" Before I could finish, a chorus of voices interrupted me. "Godmother, no matter what, I'll be here, rain or shine!" "Me too!" "Don't worry, Godmother, we'll help you! Whoever's turn it is, we'll go get 'em. They'll come whether they want to or not!" "Yeah! We'll beat up anyone who doesn't show!" I rubbed my temples, a headache brewing from the noise. I raised a finger to my lips. "Quiet now." The entire room fell silent. Cats and dogs sat obediently, some even holding their breath. "Before you come to the clinic, no food for eight hours and no water for four hours. Remember to prepare yourselves." After explaining the pre-op instructions, I casually told them to go home. They all suddenly looked crestfallen, murmuring in unison, "But Godmother... we don't have homes." A tiny voice, barely a whisper, added, "I never had a home." Many of the younger ones nodded in agreement. "Me neither." "Me neither." They were the second and third generations of strays. I seized the moment to explain the purpose of neutering. "That's why we do this. To end the cycle of new generations being born on the streets." They nodded, a flicker of understanding in their eyes. Even the ones who had been resistant to the idea seemed to relax their tense expressions. Another quiet voice added, "I used to have a home, but..." You see, every stray cat and dog cherishes the memory of their former sanctuary. They cling to that warmth, using it as fuel to survive. All I could do was sigh. "It's okay. You will go home again. And you will have homes." The city is a jungle of concrete and steel, not a place for wild cats and dogs to thrive. The stray population originates from human abandonment. Some foolish people, thinking they are granting freedom, only commit a new kind of cruelty. For a pet, being a stray isn't freedom. It's danger and despair. Watching their retreating figures, a crazy idea began to form in my mind. I would do everything in my power to find them all a home. 8 I asked Little Meow for a detailed file on every user in the forum. The more detailed, the better. Photos, names, genders, ages, hobbies, life stories... Using this information, I first filtered out the pets that had gotten lost by accident. I posted their profiles on every social media platform I could find. I reposted them periodically. Over and over, my persistence finally gained traction. Many kind-hearted people started sharing the posts. Some even learned about my crazy idea and offered financial support. I thanked them with all my heart. The news spread like wildfire. Some owners saw the profiles and contacted me, stunned, to verify the information, realizing it was their long-lost pet. Once the information was confirmed, they could take their furry family members home. The owner of a small, champagne-colored poodle had moved out of the city last year. Upon learning her dog was still alive, she drove for hundreds of miles, crossing several cities, just to bring him home. When she saw her poodle, she burst into tears. "Bubbles, Mommy thought I'd never see you again!" Bubbles, the poodle, stared back with wide, disbelieving eyes. He crept closer to his owner and sniffed her pant leg. "Oh my gosh, it really is Mommy..." Reunited at last, the owner held him tightly, too choked with emotion to speak. Before they left, she bowed low, thanking me over and over. Bubbles copied his mom, nodding his little head repeatedly. "Thank you, Godmother." He finished with a final wave of his paw. Most of the truly lost pets were eventually reunited with their owners. The ones left behind... maybe their owners hadn't seen the posts yet. Or maybe, they weren't lost by accident at all. They were abandoned. I messaged each of the remaining cats and dogs privately, asking if they wanted me to find them a new owner. After a long, long pause, each one replied with a single word: [Okay]. All except for a Maltese named Sweetie. [Godmother, I have to wait for my mommy. She loves me very much. She probably just hasn't seen my profile yet. [I was the most expensive puppy in my litter. When Mommy saw me, she brought me home without a second thought. [She told me I was her most precious baby, and that she would definitely come back for me. [I believe her.] I respected her choice. To have such unwavering faith, her mother must have loved her very, very much to give her that kind of confidence.
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