ALT a small brown puppy is being held by a person wearing purple gloves and a surgical apron. there is a small yellow tube coming out of the puppy's nose as he looks at the camera with a somber expression.

ALT four shiba inus sit in a row in a white kitchen. farthest away is a tan shiba that looks at us slightly impatiently. next to her is two black and white shibas. one of them looks at us, unsure of what to do next, while the older, wiser black and white shiba sits with an air of experience. she's done this before. closest to us is an all white shiba who is looking down at a tortoise on the floor next to her.

ALT a golden retriever puppy is on her back on a gray sheet, her ears flopping back and her mouth open with teeny shark teeth poking through. she has one front paw bent at the wrist, and a look of absolute exuberance on her face.

ALT A man is standing outside in the front yard of Ramona’s foster home. He’s holding Ramona, who he just adopted, under her arm pits and is smiling. Ramona is looking past the camera with a pleasant expression on her face.

ALT a white bull terrier stands on his wooden deck behind a black gate. he’s staring at us through the bars with a blank expression and a sturdy stance. on the outside of the gate, so passersby can see it but he can’t, there’s a sign that says “Beware: I live here” in big bold letters above a photo of the same bull terrier with the same neutral face. we get the feeling the “beware” part of that sign is overselling it a bit.

ALT a chocolate lab with a shiny coat sits on a couch and is backlit by a lamp so the top of his head is illuminated. he stares you down with a grumpy expression.

ALT a still from a video surveillance camera overlooking Javier’s doggy daycare. there is a beagle milling about, plus a shepherd and border collie resting in some grass. Javi is sitting all the way at the back against a fence, circled in red. he is an island.

ALT another overhead view of everybody at Javier’s doggy daycare. a person in a gray hoodie is standing in the center, surrounded by no fewer than 16 medium-sized dogs of all shapes and colors. once again, Javier (circled in red) has found a shady corner to lurk in, merely overseeing the activity from afar. it’s like he doesn’t know what to do when he’s not managing his team.

ALT another sunny day at daycare. there are dogs under a patio awning, dogs sunbathing, at least one looking longingly at the fenced-off pool area. and then, all the way over in the left corner behind a palm tree, a tiny black blob we have identified as CEO Javier is sitting on his own, circled in red. he doesn’t understand why nobody here seems to have that “rise and grind” work ethic.