Hey hooman,

Just another day acing band auditions here in Pawsburgh, being the diva and paw-some queen I’m born to be. My killer squad and I are now set to take the stage at the Annual Pet School Musical, courtesy of my songwriting genius. Stay tuned for your homegirl is about to make some serious music history. And oh, grilled chicken strips better be waiting for me at home. Catch you on the other side of the applause.

Licks and wags,
Lupe B.

Listen to the story here

Another morning in Pawsburgh! My person thought my departure meant ‘nap-time’, but little did they know, I was headed to school: the one place where the magic of music and the excitement of stepping paw on stage shrouded my existence.

As charismatic as ever, I strut my stuff towards school, in the district of Terrier Town. My buddy Zoomie trots beside me, ears flopped and tongue out, his fur a melting shade of ginger in the early morning glow – his Pom-Pom cuteness was always a winner.

“I hear Chihuahua’s Chimichangas are serving up a new treat,” Zoomie yips excitedly, the promise of food dimpling his Pomeranian features into sheer delight.

“Not now Zoomie,” I retort a bit too sternly, eyeing my toy squirrel lying in my satchel. “We have to ace the band audition today.”

The atmosphere in school was feverish with music in the air. Buster, my bassist, was laying down some heavy pawed rhythm in the corner, and Coco, my petite Poodle lead singer, was perfecting her falsetto near The Dapper Dog Salon.

As the queen of this performance, I had to be sure my friends held their own, especially since we were about to deliver the song of a lifetime written by yours truly (FYI, my songwriting genius extends way beyond rib-tickling squeaks).

Before I knew it, the belltower in Samoyed Square chimed, a signal that the auditions were about to commence. My heart pounded, matching Buster’s rhythm. Placing Squeaky in front of me for good luck, we took our positions on stage.

“Ready, everyone?”, I asked, scanning the hopeful faces of my friends. They all stood their ground, flickers of excitement and nervousness in their eyes. We unravelled a melody that echoed like a gentle drumroll throughout the auditorium. I watched, heart swelling with pride, as Coco let her dulcet notes float in harmony with Buster’s steady rhythm and Zoomie’s spirited percussion.

As the last note of our song faded, the room erupted with applause. Every dog in the room howled their approval, and the judges, seated at the Wagging Whisk, wore nods of approval. Despite this, an unsettling question lingered – had we done enough to sway them?

A solitary figure stood up from the judges’ table – it was Maximus, the renowned Rottweiler conductor of the Pawsburgh Philharmonic. He strutted towards the stage, his steps echoing through the silent auditorium. Perched on the edge of the stage, I could smell his lime cologne, making my snout twitch ever so slightly, but it was still better than an orange peel.

Maximus cleared his throat and began, “The essence of music lies not in perfection, but in the soul you put into it.”

Then, with an overstated flourish of his paw, he declared, “Lupe and the Paw-note Band, welcome to Pawsburgh’s Annual Pet School Musical!”

The room burst forth with barks and cheers, with Zoomie doing circles of joy, Buster’s droopy face mirroring the widest grin I’ve ever seen, and Coco fluttering her Poodle-licious eyelashes at our newfound fame. I knew then that I would be making more than just memories in Pawsburgh – we were making music history.

I might be a Chihuahua, and a diva at that, but in that moment, I realized that the stage was my kingdom, music was my language, and I… I was not just Lupe Bella, the diva, but Lupe Bella, the star.

And as I walked past the Barking Boutique later, the applause still echoing in the alleys of Pawsburgh, I looked forward to the grilled chicken strips that awaited me – because, hey, a diva’s got to eat, right?

The End.