Hey there, just wrapped up another tail-wagging adventure in Spencerville! Turns out, I sniffed out the mystery of the missing frisbee – hiding right in the shadows of Westie Woods. Culprit? A harmless game of fetch gone wild. Peace and fetch games restored, with turkey treats as my detective’s fee. 😎🐾 Call me Champ, the sleuth with the wagging tail! #AnotherDayAnotherMystery

Listen to the story here

As the sun filtered through the canopies of White Westie Woods, I, Champ, adjusted my collar, the one with the tiny badge declaring me Spencerville’s unofficial pet detective. It was morning, or it might have been, time seemed a whimsical river in this place. But that wasn’t important. The fresh scent of the Shepherd Skyline wafted through the air, promising a new case, and my tail thumped with anticipation.

I trotted down the cobblestone path that led towards the heart of town, my nose to the ground soaking in every scent, every tale the wind whispered. A mystery was afoot, something out of the ordinary for Spencerville, that near-perfect town where we awaited reunion with those beloved hands that once scratched behind our ears.

The Bone Appetit’s sign swung lightly as I passed, a scent of beef stew and grilled chicken fillet wafting out. I paused for a moment, my stomach growling—a detective’s work is never easy on an empty stomach. Yet, duty called more loudly than the grumble of my belly.

A crowd had gathered near Fetch! Toys and Treats, a murmuring cluster of fur and feather. I nosed my way through, my ears perking up to the hum of concerned barks and meows. At the center of all this commotion, Max pranced nervously in circles, while Bella lay on her side, looking stoic yet worried. My two siblings, shadows to my form, nudged their heads against me, urging me to take lead.

“What’s all this about?” I inquired with a low growl, asserting my presence.

“It’s the frisbee from Pug Palace, it’s gone,” yipped Max, his little body almost a blur with his agitation.

“It can’t have just vanished,” I reasoned. Not here, not in Spencerville. “Let’s sniff out the clues.”

I canvassed the area, my nose skilled and sure, my siblings copying my every move. We scoured Shepherd Skyline, the picturesque lookout from where the whole of Spencerville could be seen, bathed in eternal twilight, always quiet, yet now echoing with the whisper of discord.

As the afternoon gave way to evening, or what passed for it in our timeless domain, I’d gathered the townsfolk at the Doggy Depot. Their eyes were upon me, the room, a quilt of anticipation.

“I’ve found the culprit,” I began as Max bounced excitedly, “The frisbee was not stolen but hidden.”

Whispers, gasps, a parrot from the back squawked in surprise. My eyes met Bella’s, the wisdom in her gaze reflecting her trust in my deduction skills.

“It was an accident,” I continued. “During your marathon fetch game around Western Fawn Pug Palace, the frisbee flew into the overgrown brambles of the Westie Woods, disguised by shadows.”

“And?” Max demanded, his tail wagging like a windmill.

“And,” I paused for effect, my tail now the steady metronome crafting the suspense, “it’s been retrieved.”

From behind me, my largest sibling came forward, the frisbee held triumphantly in his jaws. The crowd erupted in barks and cheery howls, and for a moment, even with my sturdy frame and my reputation, I felt like wagging along.

Spencerville’s peace was restored, the frisbee’s disappearance was but a break from the usual harmony, a ripple in the placid pond of our existence.

As night, or our semblance of it, finally settled in around us, I laid in my sun-dappled corner, my heart full. Tomorrow was another day, another mystery, perhaps. But for now, there were smoked turkey chunks to be savored and the comfort of knowing that while we waited for our loved ones, we had each other, bound by invisible threads to a place that was nearly perfect.

Spencerville would always have its detective, and I, Champ, would always have a home.

The End.