THA DOGG POUND
BY TREVOR PORTILLO
CHARACTERS:
Loui the passionate pitbull, Male, 3 years old
Benny the savage rottweiler , Male, 2 years old
SETTING:
A dog pound in the middle of downtown San Francisco. The building is very rundown and depressing with cracks all over the walls. The paint is very old and the whole building smells like sewer. In the inside of the building there’s a small office with a long hallway. At the end of the hallway there’s large room filled with medium size cages. Inside the cages there’s all types of dogs. The smell of wet dog fills the air and the whole room is dirty with urine, feces, and dog hair. At the end of the room there’s two cages next to each other. One with a pit bull and one with a rottweiler.
Time:
9:15
AT RISE:
Loui is sitting in the corner of his cage, sad and depressed. Benny is inside his cage, huffin and puffin with sober all over his snout.
BENNY
What’s your name homie?
LOUI
Loui…what’s yours?
BENNY
My name is Benny. How long you been in here cuz?
LOUI
Maaann…I just got here yesterday
BENNY
Bro, how’s the food in here?
LOUI
(smirks) Imagine eating cat food. That’s how bad it is.
BENNY
(frustrated) Damn bro. I’m starting to hate this place already.
LOUI
Bro, i’m not tryna be all up in your business or none, but why you up in here?
BENNY
(smiles and chuckles) Man, I had to whoop my stepfather’s tail. He always thinks he knows everything, trying to be the boss of the house, plus he’s always treating my mom like crap.
LOUI
(shakes his head) Man, that’s messed up. Any dawg who bites a female deserves to get his tail whooped.
BENNY
No doubt about that…so how you end up in here?
LOUI
Man, i turned myself in cuz.
BENNY
Why you do that fo?
LOUI
(smiles) This is not my first time here. I’ve been in and out. The pound tried to send me to a couple shelters in the city but i would never stay to finish the program. I always ended up running away.
BENNY
(serious) Why do you keep running away?
LOUI
(looks down at the ground and turns back at him) I know you might think this is silly but i’m in love Benny. I missed her so much. I just couldn’t take it no more. I had to be with her.
BENNY
You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you turn yourself in?
LOUI
Cause i’m tired of being on the run and living in these streets. I just want a better life with my girl.
BENNY
(smiles and chuckles) It sounds like your tail’s whopped.
LOUI
(chuckles back) Man, i am. Can’t lie about that but i really do love her. She’s a standard poodle. Her name is Mariah.
BENNY
Well that’s nice. Sounds like she’s a keeper. So what is the pound finna do with you?
LOUI
They’re tryna play me out cuz. They talking all types of crazy stuff. They think i’m too bad for a shelter. They want to get rid of me. They wanna send me to a bigger dog pound out the city. They’re even threatening more me with the shot.
BENNY
(makes a curious face) What’s the shot?
LOUI
The shot is the end of the rode. Bye bye life. Hello Mr. Death. The shot kills.
BENNY
(makes a serious face) Man, that’s cold but don’t sweat it. They just tryna scare you.
LOUI
Well anyway. I only got until tomorrow to find a shelter or if not my whole life is finna go down the drain.
BENNY
Man, that’s messed up. I’m finna pray for you.
LOUI
Thanks homie. (Out of nowhere they take Benny out of the cage and into the office. After ten minutes, he comes back.) What was that about? Why they take you out?
BENNY
(he makes a serious face) They said to get ready. That there’s a shelter person waiting for me. They said this was going to be the only spot available for weeks but i’m not going.
LOUI
(he makes a curious face) What you mean you not going?
BENNY
Cause you need this more than i do homie. I could wait a couple weeks for another spot. You need to go and get back to your life. Be happy with your girl. My day will come.
LOUI
(smiles) Thank you homie. I owe you life my life.
BENNY
No problem. Just go to the tenderloin and tell my mom and sister i love and miss them.
LOUI
I got you brother, don’t worry about that. You gone be out pretty soon. Make sure you keep yo head up.
BENNY
Fasho cuz. See you soon.(They take Loui and he’s sent to the shelter. The next day Loui gets on the phone.)
LOUI
(whispers to himself) Why is the pound calling?
LOUI
(He’s on the phone for ten seconds when out of nowhere he starts barking and screaming.) It can’t be!! It must be a mistake!! Not Benny!! It can’t be him!! There’s no way he got the shot!! (He whimpers softly and looks at the sky.) I promise you Benny. I’m a take care of your mother and sister. I owe it to you.
THE END
