“Hey mom and dad, it’s been a wild ride in Spencerville. Woke up hungry and excited for breakfast, when we got thrown into chaos from an earthquake. Buildings crumbled, but our spirits didn’t. Victoria and I rallied every pet around. Took weeks, but we cleaned up, comforted, and led our town back to peace. Guess this old Bear Cub has a spot of bravery under all this fur. Miss you and love you. – Buddha”

Listen to the story here

There I was, Spencerville’s favorite Newfoundland, Vincent. It was an ordinary day in our canine town. My sister, Victoria, and I awoke to the inviting scent of fish wafting from Pup-Peroni. I’d developed quite a taste for it, given my allergy to pretty well anything else. I’d had an itch or two in my day, and I wasn’t keen on repeating the experience.

Before breakfast, I reached for the pickle – my beloved treat holder. It was this pickle that had seen me through those turbulent nights in my lonely past. No recounting those days, mind you.

“Vinnie,” said Princess Victoria, sleepy-eyed, “Aren’t we late for breakfast?”

I glanced towards the clock, it stood witness as the seconds ticked away. “We’ll make it,” I reassured, though the ticking seemed to laugh at my bravado. We Newfoundlands are known for our calm demeanor, but that clock ticking brought out a certain urgency in me.

As we bounded to Pup-Peroni, a rumble shook the town. I nearly missed a step, falling flat on my face. Victoria looked at our quaint Spencerville, and her brows furrowed. An earthquake? Here? Our nice little town was foreign to such calamities, we were used to peace here, not disaster.

After the shaking subsided, the town was a mess. Beagle Beach was no longer encrusted with shells, but debris. Lower Golden Gate Gardens bore the brunt with trees uprooted, mudslides had wreaked havoc in Chihuahua Castle, and the usually bustling Furry Friends Art Gallery was eerily silent.

“Victoria,” I took a deep breath. “We have a job to do.”

We gathered all the pets we could find. They were frightened, and I don’t blame them. The calm town we were all familiar with was in utter disarray. Despite the chaos around, the animals began to rally under our leadership. It was funny, though, as I’d never thought much about leadership. I prefer my couch and a good nap, after all. But there’s something about a crisis, it makes you extend beyond your normal self.

We dogs, cats, and birds got to work, helping however we could. Clearing debris, comforting the scared, and providing help to those who needed it. Even I, the hulking Newfoundland that liked calmness and a sunny day out, pitched in with a might I didn’t know I had.

Weeks later, Spencerville was slowly turning back to its former glory. Shops like The Snooty Snout Boutique began opening, and quirkily-named restaurants like Chow Down Chow Chow were serving meals again. We pets stuck together, proving to be stronger than the disaster that had struck us. And as I looked around, I felt a swell of pride – we might just be pets, waiting to be reunited with our owners, but we know how to turn a disaster into a learning experience.

I learned that day that being a Newfoundland is more than about being calm and stubborn. We pulled through, Princess Victoria and I, and our fellow Spencerville folk, turning disaster into a story of unity and resilience. And as I lay down on my couch that night, pickle toy in my mouth, I knew that this was a story to remember. After all, not every day is ordinary in Spencerville, and that’s what makes our lives unique – even for a stubborn Newfoundland like me.

The End.