Geico Insurance, Not Just for Cars

The squad car pulls up, slow and smooth. He stops along the side of the parking lot, near me, but not in a parking space. I glance up, pulling my attention from my alert little Sheltie; her ears high and erect, her tail poised, low and interested, her eyes intense and focused. I watch as the Police officer steps out of his car. I turn away-we get alot of cops here-and turn my attention back to the Sheltie and her potential owner: "You wanna go home with the officer?" I coo at the dog. "Huh, do ya? You wanna be a police dog? Hm? You wanna?" By now, the cop has reached the fence where we are, so I glance up to greet him. He's tall and cute, with a short military haircut, broad shoulders and obvious muscles. He wears handcuffs on one hip, a gun holstered at the other and a radio grumbling at his shoulder.
    The cop puts his hand up to the fence inviting the Sheltie over. The dog complies, bounding over and jumping up on the fence, licking the cop's hand through the mesh.
    "Ah!" The cop's voice suddenly gets high-pitched and babyish. "Is she," he points over at the woman who is out with me, interested in adopting the dog, "going to take you home? Yes, puppy! Yes!" As one, the woman and I burst out laughing.
    Finally, I remember my job. "Can I help you?" I finally ask, gasping for breath.
    "Yeah," replies the cop, regaining his composure only with a huge grin. "I found him," he reaches behind himself and opens his squad car's door. "him running loose on base. He was wearing this leather collar and a motorcycle vest."
    I look the dog over. He's cute, a chocolate lab. " I see. But doesn't the base have a shelter?"
    "Not anymore," was the only reply I got. I tell the cop to go inside and drop off the dog. He nods, but then asks if he can leave the dog in the car. "He tried to bite another cop," he explains. I nod absentmindedly, turning my attention back to the Sheltie and her potential owner.
                                                                         !@#$%^&*()
    Back at the front desk, I watch the line of people dropping off pets grow. Cats. They're all dropping off cats. Suddenly, the police officer appears in front of me.
    "Hi," I say, surprised. It's been almost an hour, why's he still here?
    "Hey," he replies, "I was told that there were many people ahead of me, but I really have to get back to the base."
    "Sure...Hold on, let me ask." I glance around despretatly. Everyone else is otherwise occupied. Choosing randomly, my gaze lands on Suzi IV*. " I walk up beside her. "He has a dog to drop off, but he's really in a hurry to get back to the base."
    Hardly looking up, Suzi IV nods, walks aournd the counter and follows the officer outside, being trailed by yours truely.
    "He told me that the dog bit another cop," I inform Suzi IV.
    The cop drags the lab out by his scruff. While Suzi IV SARs in the dog, I gather up the collar and motorcycle vest. After SARing the dog, we leash him say good-bye to the cop and head back inside. By the time we re-enter the building, the lobby-ish area has cleared out some and we are able to keep the dog with us up at the desk. As Suzi IV finishes the paperwork, I rumage through the lab's vest.I open one pocket: some loose change. Another pocket: Hm? What's this? Geico Insurance cards. I pull out the cards and turn them over.
    "Hey Suzi IV, did you find a microchip in Frank?" I say over my shoulder.
    " No, I-" Suzi IV pauses. "Frank?"
    "Yup." I reach down and floffle Frank lovely brown ears. "Frank."
    "Why Frank?"
    "He looks like a Frank."
    A volunteer walking by stops and stares at the lab for a moment. "He does look like a Frank, doesn't he."
    "Anyway," I say giding us back on topic, "did you get a chip on him?"
    "Ah, no," Suzi Iv replies, catching back up. "Which is weird because any animal on base is required to have a microchip by law."
    "Well, would this help?" I hold out the insurance cards to her. She takes them, flipping them over and looking at both sides carefully.
    "Uh...sure. I guess I could try this." She picks up the phone and punches in the Geico number found on the card. The phone is turned up loud enough for me to hear both ends of the conversation. It is as follows:
Geico Insurance Agent: Geico Insurance, how can I help you?
Suzi IV: Hey, this is Suzi IV with NYB Animal Control, I've got a weird question for you.
GIA: Animal Control...OK...
    Suzi IV proceeds to give the GIA the details. After she hangs up, I ask what's going to happen to Frank.
    "She[GIA] called both numbers on the policy, but neither was working and the holder hasn't had Geico in several years, so they're going to try E-mailing the holder instead.
                                                                           !@#$%^&*()
    1 WEEK LATER.
    I stride into the shelter, my eyes instantly falling upon Suzi IV as I oppen the inner door and step into the lobby-ish area.
    "Hey Suzi IV, what happened to Frank last week? You know, the lab that the police officer brought in?"
    Suzi IV answers distractedly without looking up. "His owner picked him up a few days ago."
                                                                             Another Happy Ending
*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.