“Hey Mom, had a wild day! Lilly went missing, discovered her adventurous side at the Cream Maltese Meadow. Russell and I played lbs. Channelled Dad’s legacy, solved the mystery and found her with chew toy crumbs. I guess I’ve ended up a sleuth in Spencerville! PS: Got extra cheese at Bone Appetit for being a hero. Love, Tanner.”

Listen to the story here

It was a typical day in Spencerville. I was nibbling at my favorite cheese slice at The Bone Appetit when a peculiar scent wafted my way. That’s when I saw him – Fat Russell.

“Tanner,” he gasped, panting, his jowls quivering, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“What happened, Russell? You look like you’ve ran from the Lower Dalmatian Desert to here. Wait, please don’t tell me you did.”

He looked at me, his round eyes wide. “Lilly – she’s missing.”

My heart dropped faster than a toy squirrel from a tall oak.

“Missing? But, Lilly hates adventures,” I protested, struggling with the reality. My Lilly was a homebody. She found comfort in the familiar. The idea of her lost, it was unthinkable, unbearable.

“But you’ve got to help, Tanner,” Russell pleaded. His plea echoed my unspoken thoughts. After all, I inherited my father’s legacy. Solving mysteries, maybe it’s a pug thing.

So, without any hesitation, I plunged into my new role as an amateur sleuth. My first stop being our favorite hangout, The Doggy Depot.

I sniffed around, no scents out of place, everything as familiar as the feeling of dread in my belly. Bonnie, an old Yorkie at the counter, offered a sympathetic whimper, “Good luck, Tanner.”

Days turned into a labyrinth of anxiety and clues that led to nothing, but we didn’t give up. We couldn’t give up. Russell and I scrambled across town, chasing leads from Upper Collie Canyon to Lower Dalmatian Desert. From The Pooch Playhouse to Ruff-n-Ready, picking up trails of her scent.

Finally, a breakthrough at the unlikeliest of places – The Cream Maltese Meadow. A path rarely taken by Lilly. There, underneath a willow tree, was Lilly’s favorite chew toy.

It struck me then; our trips to Pet Partners Pet Supplies. Her longing gazes at those chew toys, probably wishing for a world where they rained from the sky. Perhaps, my Lilly was a dreamer, looking for an adventure after all.

“I owe you one, Tanner!” Russell yelped, charging towards a small opening within a thicket near the tree. There she was, my Lilly, crumbs of chew toys surrounding her, and a puzzle of missing toy pieces coming together.

There was relief, joy, maybe a tinge of annoyance at her newly discovered adventurous side, but mostly love. She was safe, and that’s all that mattered.

And so, the legend of Tanner, the resident sleuth of Spencerville, began. I decided perhaps I wasn’t that averse to adventures after all. Especially if it gets me a hero’s welcome back at The Bone Appetit, with an extra cheese slice on the house. It was my newfound anecdote to share, my tale of courage, mystery, and unexpected escapades.

I’ve got a knack for this mystery solving stuff, or so Russell tells me. Maybe solving mysteries isn’t just a pug thing; it’s a Spencerville thing, after all.

The End.