Owner’s Perspective

It was a day like any other. I woke up, made myself coffee, and began my morning chore of feeding our little zoo. The cat with her specially formulated urinary health chow, the tank full of hungry guppies with a sprinkle of flakes, and Bella, our lovable Labrador, with her bowlful of grain-free kibble, perfectly portioned to maintain her athletic physique. Everything was life as usual…except for one tiny, inconsequential detail (or so I thought): Bella’s bowl was empty after she finished eating.

You see, I generally remove Bella’s bowl the moment she’s done with her meal, mainly because of her insatiable curiosity about anything and everything I do with said bowl (plus the tail-wagging that could cause a small tornado in our living room). But this time, engrossed in my morning routine and draining coffee, I absentmindedly left her bowl right there on the floor – empty.

The betrayal in her eyes, you cannot even imagine. Bella sniffed the bowl, looked at me with a deep monk-like solemnity, then plopped down next to her bowl and let out a sigh so long and full of despair, it could have moved mountains. I was the traitor, leaving her there with hopes of second-breakfast that would never come.

Bella’s Perspective: The Empty Bowl Betrayal

The morning started PERFECTLY. The sun was reflectingly brightly off my WATER BOWL. Mama woke up BEFORE the ALARM CLOCK (20 strokes of the tail for that). And then, the best part of the day, which could only be described as WINNING A DOGGY LOTTERY – my food bowl arrived, filled with my FAVORITE KIBBLE.

With all the grace of a NOBLE BEAST, I finished every crumb. Then. IT HAPPENED. I looked at my bowl. EMPTY. Not a speck in sight. It was a stark symbol of my FAILED expectations.

I even gave Mama my best “Are-there-more-in-the-bag” look, accompanied by my most pathetic whimper. ALL. FOR. NOTHING. That was when the magnitude of the BETRAYAL hit me. Was this some new form of training? Or was Mama TAUNTING me? The world was an empty bowl.

Crisis Averted

With that look of utter disappointment from Bella, guilt washed over me like a tidal wave. That was it. I scrambled for my car keys and with a pat on Bella’s head, I promised, “I’ll make this up to you, girl.”

Driving to The Hungry Puppy store, I knew precisely what to get: Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried raw dinner patties. For Bella, these patties were more than food. They were her instant ticket to doggy Cloud Nine. I grabbed three bags. She deserved it after the morning’s chow chow-chowdown.

If Bella’s reception of the patties could be described as rain in the desert, that would be an understatement. Her rapidly wagging tail turned into a full-blown blur as I opened one of the packs. The moment I placed that freeze-dried patty into her once-empty bowl, her joy knew no bounds. It was as if Christmas came early, and Santa was very, very generous this year.

The sigh that followed was completely opposite from this morning’s long-drawn sorrowful rendition. It was one of contentment, of bliss, of a..do I dare say it? A very FULL Bella.

Crisis averted. All forgiven. Dog no longer hates me (but I may need to buy more patties very soon).

Looking to win back your dog’s love just like I did? Head over to The Hungry Puppy to find a wide array of treats or a special meal that your furry friend will absolutely love.

• 🦴 Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried raw dinner patties — because, hey, we’ve all forgotten to pick up the bowl
• 🚀 Express delivery — because some apologies can’t wait
• 🏪 In-store shopping — Bring your pup for the full experience
• 💚 Lots of love — We get it. We’re dog people too.