Hey Mom,

Had a wild ride sniffing out a scandal in Pawsburgh with Bella and Tucker. We uncovered a plot by the top dogs to hoard all the good chicken for themselves! After some serious sleuthing, wagging and woofs, we exposed their greedy paws and saved the city’s supper. Just another day in the life of your ‘hound-dini’ Oreo, keeping our tails wagging and the chicken bones plentiful. 🐾🐶

Love,
The Sniffer

Listen to the story here

I remember it was a humid night in Pawsburgh; the kind that makes your fur stick to your skin like it’s been glued on for good. The moon, peeking from behind the Hound Heights, cast an eerie light over Diamond Doberman Dunes, setting the stage for a caper most foul.

I’m Oreo, by the way; the one-eyed wit with a nose for trouble. I drifted through the darkness, my shadow stretching long and thin, just like the chances of the night passing without incident. I was headed for Spaniel Springs, but not for the soothing waters; tonight wasn’t a night for refreshment. I had a meeting with information on the line.

I crossed Maple Leaf Park, the east corner offering a brief solace and reminder of daylight dalliances. A rare spot in this town not swathed in some shenanigan or other. Living in Pawsburgh comes at a price, after all, and that price is picking through the litter of lies to sniff out the truth.

We rendezvoused at Fido’s Feast, a joint where the cheer of bones and the clinking of water bowls should’ve brightened any canine’s night. Bella and Tucker were already there, their faces drawn with urgency under the dim glow of the paw-shaped neon sign.

“I thought this was just going to be another run-of-the-mill tail-chaser,” Bella began, her tone somber. “But, it’s bigger than us, Oreo. It’s about the whole of Pawsburgh.”

Tucker’s ears twitched nervously. “Yeah, the big kibbles in this town, they’re planning something, and it smells worse than week-old fish.” Tucker always did have a way with metaphor.

We laid out the bones of the issue. The big collars of Pawsburgh, the ones with pedigree papers thicker than The Pawfect Training Center’s obedience manuals, were plotting to corner the market on chicken—the good stuff, plump and dripping with flavor. My usual bowl of bliss, turned contraband.

“You know what this means, right?” Bella asked, her eyes locked on mine.

“Aye, they’ll drive the prices through the Woof and Whisker Wellness Center’s roof.” And that wasn’t all—they planned to replace it with a flood of Brussels sprouts. I caught Tucker’s gaze, the horror mirrored in my single eye. Pawsburgh was on the brink of a veritable veg-pocalypse.

“So, what do we do?” Tucker inquired, his jittery tone betraying a bark worse than his bite.

“We do what we do best,” I responded. “We dig. We sniff. We expose these mongrels for the corrupt cavalcades that they are.”

Slipping through dark alleys, we set our plans in motion. The scent of conspiracy was in the air, stronger than the garlic emanating from Pawprint Pizzeria and far more pungent than the day’s specials at Doggie Diner.

We hit the ground running, paws against the pavement, picking up leads outside The Woofy Bakery where the talk was less about treats and more about trade. With each wag and whisper, we pieced together the puzzle, until we held the ticket to bring this canine cabal to heel.

“You two are the best friends a one-eyed scallywag could ask for,” I confessed, as we sneaked back to Hound Heights to oust the injustices committed by the upper crust.

When the clubs began to bark and the secret was out, chaos ensued. Pawsburgh’s crooked elite found themselves cornered like cats on dog day. Turns out, there ain’t much that can stay hidden when you have a trio of four-legged detectives hell-bent on preserving the joyful simplicity of a chicken bone in every bowl.

As for the rest, well, those details are etched in the annals of Pawsburgh lore, best served with a side of intrigue over a quiet dinner. My friends and I, we saved the town from a fate worse than dry kibble. And as our tails entwined through another day at Maple Leaf Park, the sunlight felt a little brighter, the bonds a little tighter, and the adventure… well, it was just beginning.

The End.