“Busy day in Pawsburg, Dad! Snooped Dog-gone Good BBQ, sniffed out fresh goodies at Fetch!, then a traumatic visit to The Groom Room. Even snagged mystery sushi at Cat’s Meow! Definitely another wild day in paradise. Paws and love, Little Slice of Angel Pie”

Listen to the story here

Never could figure when exactly she started moonlighting, but I reckon the moon shone rather peculiarly that night in Pawsburg. Especially when Holly, the speckled-eared Sherlock of the dog realm, set off on another of her infamous carousing adventures. Now, allow me to introduce you to Pawsburg, the canine Xanadu, a place where dogs created a world magnified by their sheer will, wit, and wet noses.

One sunny weekend in Pawsburg, I found Holly seated majestically by Labradoodle Lake, her brown speckled ears perked up in readiness and her tongue lolling out in a carefree manner. She was unmistakably looking at something edible.

“You getting a whiff of Dog-gone Good BBQ, aren’t you?” I asked. A tail wagging fervor was her response. Honestly, you could never keep a good dog away from succulent BBQ.

Lakeside, we ventured over to Fetch! Toys and Treats. I don’t know how she did it, but Holly always knew when they stocked up afresh. Be it the chew bone filled with that sinfully delightful peanut butter, or the squeaky toy designed to mock feline figures, Holly was always on the ball. But, I suppose it had more to do with her highly selective stubborn streak.

Only at the end of the day, did I realize why my noble friend was putting on such a show. She trotted, or as much as any noble English Bulldog can, over to The Groom Room. Her ears markedly drooped. Everyone in town knew her fastidiousness for cleanliness. It bordered on the comic. We’d often amused ourselves by wondering how she, of all dogs, ended up at the salon.

“Yes, would you believe I have to deal with the equivalent of waterboarding just because the handler can’t stand a bit of earth on my coat, eh?” she seemed to be saying, glancing at me with those Bambi-eyes.

As the moon dressed itself generously in silver sheen again, Pawsburg transformed. It was as if the town had its shift, changing from the cataclysmic carefree canine paradise to a nocturnal town brimming with dark, delicious secrets.

Holly had returned home, after a detour to North Chihuahua Castle, carrying a strange case of sardine sushi from the Cat’s Meow. Holly was invested in her own riveting Pet X-File and we plunged headlong with her into the unknown leaving everyone shaking their heads and chuckling. Amidst doggy spy-massages at the Dapper Dog Salon and undercover dining at Pup-Tizers, Pawsburg and its mysteries were ours to explore.

After all, being involved with Holly was never about walking. It was about embarking on an adventure, one that had us eternally charmed and intrigued.

The End.