Afterlife Sniff

Ever the dutiful service dog, Canela looked forward to her daily errands with Emilia. A middle schooler, Emilia was quiet and preferred befriending teachers—or, more often, the janitor—over her classmates. Naturally, the janitor always had a cookie or two for Canela.

Canela and the janitor formed a special bond, one built on a shared understanding of what really mattered: finding the best pee-smelling spots on school grounds. The boys’ bathroom? A masterpiece. Heaven, really, as far as Canela was concerned. When Emilia eventually graduated and moved on to college, Canela mourned the loss of her janitor friend—the one person who truly understood her, uh, refined tastes. Never again would she find someone so committed to her love of sniffing the finest pee-scented corners.

Years passed, and Canela aged gracefully. But even the best dogs have their final days, and one day, Canela moved on to that great dog park in the sky.

And on that day, for the first time, she was free to go anywhere she pleased. So where did she go first? The middle school, of course, convinced her janitor friend might still be there, waiting to show her the next best sniffing spot. But when she arrived, she found a new person in the janitor's closet.

Confused but determined, Canela still made her rounds, hitting all her favorite spots—thinking fondly of her old pee tour guide. She searched high and low, but there was no sign of him.

Then, as if remembering something obvious, she trotted confidently to the cafeteria. That janitor sure did love his food. And there, in the corner, staring wistfully at a display case of desserts, was her old friend. He looked a little, well, transparent, but no less himself.

When he saw Canela, his face lit up. “Canela! Good girl, come here!”

Canela bounded toward him, her chocolate tail slicing through the air, like no time had passed.

“You gonna visit Emilia next?” he asked.

Canela gave a little boop on his knee—her classic ‘yes.’

“Wow, I’m honored. So you came to me first, huh?” His grin widened. “But I bet you didn’t come just for me. Wanna breeze through all the old pee spots, my girl?”

Canela’s marble eyes sparkled. Her upper lip curled to the right. “Let’s not rush the process, hooman.”