No Pets Allowed

"No Pets Allowed" by Monette Cummings is a thought-provoking science fiction story from the late 1950s, unfolding in a future world emphasizing the battles between personal longings and community laws. In a setting where pets are banned and dishonesty is rare, the story centers on a lonely guard whose life is turned upside down when he secretly adopts a carnivorous plant, feeding it small animals and forming an unexpected bond. When a council member vanishes during a visit, the guard is faced with internal and external conflict. The story leaves the reader contemplating how the guard will navigate a web of secrets, raising questions about what it truly means to be honest when perfection is paramount.