“Dad, had quite the adventure today! Went to Pawsburg while you were gone, hung out with the gang at Bark Burger, had a face-off with my fav toy at Fetch! and managed to dodge the vet. Ended the night gazing at our kingdom from Husky Hill. Heroics, hamburgers, and hijinks! Until the next pup-venture. 🐾 – Big Herm”

Listen to the story here.

With a yawn and a stretch, I, Herman, the Bulldog with a heart bigger than the drool on my chin, lumbered out the backyard, bound for the mystical Pawsburg, a town where dogs rule and thrill is the day’s order. Besides, my owners were out of town, and you know what they say about the dog when the owners are away.

Reaching my destination, I bee-lined straight for Bark Burger. There sat Lilly, the pug, Pepper the animated Goldendoodle, Baker, bulldog like me, and Lil Rosie, favorite pup of the town.

“Lil Rosie,” I called out, winking at Baker, “How about treating an old pal to a good hamburger?” She rolled her eyes, her face mirroring Dorothy Parker when she decried the use of an extra adjective in her circle.

Lunch done, I licked the remaining traces of vanilla ice-cream, a quirky craving which my partners-in-crime still found amusing. My chortles mixed with Bark Burgers’ lunchtime chatter, I motioned towards my mate Baker, cavorting around brandishing his monkey toy. I love that toy, I tell you, the tug of power we dogs experience, traipsing around the throne of Pawsburg inside Fetch! Toys and Treats.

So engrossed was I in my game that I didn’t notice the ominous clouds overhead. A murmur echoed across East Bulldog Bay, “The vet is in town.” My heart missed a beat; I detest the vet’s office. Yet, as a noble bulldog, I knew I had to brave through it. Think about those chewy bones and cow ears, Herman, I told myself, having been imbued by one too many tales of courageous hounds at the Furry Friends Art Gallery.

As the day succumbed to the cool whispers of the night, I found myself atop Husky Hill, the moonlight creating an iridescent collar around Pawsburg while trickling in mirthful gossip to my dog-friends of my day’s adventures. “The night is full of treats,” I recited, parodying the Game of Thrones tagline, drawing hearty laughs, and together, we watched our kingdom shine under a diamond studded sky.

In the grand scheme of Pawsburg, my story, like my appearance, may appear ordinary, or intimidating. Yet, the power struggle, the friendships, the love for a burger and fear of a vet, make me, Herman, a bulldog with fawn and white wrinkled skin; a proud bulwark in this Pet Throne Game.

The End.