“Hey, had an epic day! Unidentified frisbee-object at the beach turned out to be Fluffy’s Couture toy. Tracked it back to Mrs. Sprinkles at The Barkery, scoring bonus Bark Burgers. Adventure? Nailed it! 🐾 -The Brindle Beach Squad.”

Listen to the story here

“I remember it clearly. It was a Tuesday, the kind of tepid Pawsburg day when nothing interesting ever happens. Little white puffs of clouds hung lazily in the Shepherd Skyline, partially obscuring the sun. I was lounging by the Brindle Brown Boxer Beach, tossing Frisbees into the cool breeze with Chunk, Murphy, and Roxie. We were just whiling away the hours before Miss Lorna would return from her job at the library. At that moment, the taste of shredded chicken with rice waiting back at Elm Street seemed far too distant.

The wind picked up just as Murphy launched himself into the sea after a particularly enticing Frisbee throw by Roxie. We laughed and barked, encouraging the old golden retriever in his quest. Suddenly, Roxie’s tail went rigid, and she let out a low growl. The hair on my back bristled as my ears perked for any strange sounds. But the only noise came from the crashing waves and Murphy’s frustrated barks.

Before we knew it, a banner-shaped toy landed between us with a thud. We all looked at it, then at each other. This wasn’t a Frisbee, nor did it belong to any of us. It seemed to be a custom toy, woven from different color strands, the likes of which I had never seen in Pawsburg. A mystery! My heart thrilled at the challenge.

I approached the toy cautiously, twisting my head to read the words embroidered on it. ‘Property of Canine Couture Clothing,’ it read. Intrigued, I picked the toy up, announcing my intentions to the others. Their eyes sparkled with intrigue; Pawsburg rarely offered such mysteries.

Arriving at Canine Couture Clothing, the shopkeeper Squinty – so called due to his habit of squinting suspiciously at any canine entering the shop – didn’t even raise an eyebrow as we entered, too engrossed in his book. I placed the lost toy on the counter. Squinty’s squinting eyes regarded the toy for a moment before a light flickered with recognition.

‘Ah, that? That’s Mrs. Sprinkle’s custom toy for her poodle, Fluffy. She’d lose her head if it weren’t attached, that one,’ he said. The mission had become clearer – deliver the lost toy back to Mrs. Sprinkles.

We found Mrs. Sprinkles in The Barkery, chatting animatedly over a plate of Bark Burgers. Roxie trotted up to her, placing the lost toy onto her lap. Mrs. Sprinkles gasped, rewarding us with extra Bark Burgers and a heartfelt, teary-eyed thank you.

Job done. Adventure complete. We trotted back towards the beach, our tails wagging comfortably. We were just four dogs, living in a dog’s world, but Pawsburg was our own little slice of paradise. In our town, there was always another adventure right around the corner… and another plate of shredded chicken back home.”

The End.