“Hey Mom, I’ve turned into the local pet detective! Found a crazy map showing every pet’s hideouts in Spencerville—perfect for rescue missions. So, if any doggo, kitty or parrot goes missing, I’m their guy! P.S. No map around at dinner; I’d hate to trade it for steak! Miss you & woofs, Hound Harold.”

Listen to the story here.

Ever since I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Harold, that quirky Brown Wolf Mix, something phenomenal’s been fluttering the air of Spencerville. I should’ve known something’s big brewing when he started pawing at the ground at the exact same spot each morning. Keep in mind Harold wasn’t the digging type, not unless it involved unearthing a disobedient steak.

One fine day, Harold alerted the whole Spencerville canine gang, some sort of town conference in our beloved compound. Smiley, Babe, Pugsley, Pepper, Penelope, George, Pooh, and Betty were all there. A sight to behold it was, fluffs of brown, white, black, and everything in between, all wagging tails and panting.

Their afternoon play turned to a mission brief in no time. City of Spencerville had itself a mystery on the paws, and by the look of things, they were all in. I followed, as I wanted to retain the title of Harold’s favorite human, he’d overthrown his suspicion of cats long enough to tolerate Sylvester’s presence, but I wasn’t giving up that title.

Harold led the gang across the Brindle Brown Boxer Beach, through the redolent pathways of the Pup-Peroni, past the salivating smells of Pooched Potatoes, and halted the pack outside Fetch! Toys and Treats. He started digging again. At this point, the town had been gathered around the spectacle. Cats, dogs, hamsters, and even the resident parrots.

Low and behold! A foreign object revealed itself from the earthy recesses: a small capsule now gleaming in the afternoon sun. It was unlike anything Spencerville witnessed before. The capsule opened to reveal an interactive map of a town identical to ours, with home locations marked and everything. It was a game-changing discovery.

Instead of panicking, Harold exhibited wisdom beyond canine comprehension. He knew this wasn’t to cause harm but new adventures. The map showed the exact locations of all pet homes in Spencerville down to their individual hiding spots and secret trails. It appeared we had a way to track everyone, pets, stray, lost, stolen, or the ones trying to sneak into Chow Down Chow Chow for a midnight snack.

Since then, Harold and the gang have become the de facto pet search and rescue team. If someone’s missing, Harold knows just how to find them. And so, our Spencerville legend stood taller, its stories richer. Most importantly, the warmth of love, unity, and shared adventures was kindled brighter and mightier, courtesy of the intrigue and strangeness of a Brown Wolf Mix named Harold. Just don’t let him near the nifty new map at dinner time.

The End.