While cleaning out my childhood home a year or so ago, I came across a poster on the back of the door of my former room. It had a collage of various dogs, big and small, happily sitting with their tongues hanging out. With both my mom and younger brother being allergic to dogs and cats, that, for most of my life, was the closest that I came to having a dog as a pet. (Don’t worry, my boyfriend’s immediate family has four dogs, so I get my fill these days.) With that in mind, I’d love to hear about your pets. Do you have a favorite one you’ve had? What are some memorable, funny or touching memories you’ve had with a pet? Is there a dream pet you’d like to have? Are you happy to not have any pets? I’d love to know. Please make it a six-word story, a personal short story, with a beginning, middle and end — not six adjectives, not a cliché and not advice. Make us laugh or cry or at the least feel something. For an example, here is the famous story attributed to, but not proven to be written by, Ernest Hemingway: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” If you want your story to run in the IJ, please: • Write “Six-word story” in the subject line • Send one six-word story • Include your full name and Marin town in the body of the email, no attachments • Write your short story in the body of the email, no attachments Please send to lifestyles@marinij.com by Sept. 20 and look for it in the Oct. 1 lifestyles section and online.