The blue collar dogs were doing their best but could
only go as fast as the slowest dog. Some of the older dogs
were really having a hard time and were slowing down as
they approached the railroad tracks. Duke yelled out, “Help
the older ones. They are falling back.”
Doctor Howl saw this and hollered, “The dogs are
running out of gas. Go get them.”
Wiley shouted encouragement to the other dogs.
“Keep moving. Don't stop.”
Astro had reached the tracks and noticed a long
freight train coming. He cried out, “The train's is almost
here. Move it.”
The dogs made their way to the train tracks just
before the long freight train arrived. Doctor Howl realized
they were going to get away. He shouted out new instructions,
“Fire the tranquilizer guns.” As the tranquilizer
darts flew over their heads, the dogs cleared the railroad
tracks just as the five o'clock freight train roared by,
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blocking Dr. Howl and his army. The enraged doctor faced
his staff and ordered, “I want my dogs back. Get the vans.”
On the other side of the tracks, the dogs had made it
to a side street. They gathered around Wiley and Buster to
figure out what to do. “Where are we?” asked Gibraltar.
“WE’RE FREE!” cried out the blue collar dogs.
Gibraltar continued to speak out, “What do we do
now?”
“We have to keep moving. That doctor is going to
come after us,” warned Wiley.
“Where should we go?” asked Duke.
Bouncer suggested, “Let’s go down that street.”
Astro pointed in another direction. “I like that way.”
As the slow freight train rumbled by, the blue collar
dogs began to mill around and grumble as there seemed to
be no plan on what to do now, after successfully executing
the great escape plan. Being a home body, Wiley had no
street experience and admitted to Buster, “I don’t know
which way to go.”
Buster had a life time of street experience and took
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control. “We need a vacant house or garage for the night,”
advised Buster. “We have to split into three search teams.
Astro, you take a team of four, Bouncer, you pick four and
the rest can come with me. When you find something, let
the rest of us know. Now move out.”
As the afternoon came to an end, Earl and Brad were
driving around in one of the CACC trucks looking for stray
dogs. Brad was still not feeling happy about transferring the
dogs in the middle of the night. “I don't know. Something
about last night didn't seem right,” complained Brad.
Earl warned, “Listen Brad, don't get weak knees
now.”
“How long have you been doing this?” asked Brad.
Earl smirked, “The county has to get rid of some of
these dogs. I’m just doing my job.”
“You didn't tell me that the dogs were going to be
research guinea pigs,” protested Brad.
Earl smiled, “Give me a break. Those old misfits
would have been dead in seven days anyway.” Earl's cell
phone rang and he answered. “Ok. Ok. No problem, Doc.”
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He put his cell phone away and informed Brad, “We are
going to be busy. The Doc needs more dogs.”
Across town, the dog teams were out wandering
around the neighborhood searching for a place to stay.
Wiley was walking along with Buster’s team, trying to
learn now to survive as a homeless dog. “How many times
have you been homeless?” he asked Buster.
“Too many,” said Buster. “I’ve had owners leave me
in a vacant field or at some friend’s house and they would
shut me out. Some just stopped feeding me so I had to take
off.”
To keep from becoming more depressed, Wiley tried
to change the subject and inquired, “Do you think we will
find some shelter?”
Buster observed the immediate neighborhood and
grinned. “It shouldn’t be a problem in this old rundown
neighborhood. There will be a shack somewhere.”
At that moment, one of the dogs in the team ran up
and said to Buster and Wiley, “There is a dog following
us,” he said.
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The team halted in its tracks. About twenty yards
back down the street they saw a medium-sized dog
watching them. Wiley suggested, “I’ll go back and see
what’s happening.”
Buster nodded, “Ok. But any trouble and we’ll be
there in a second.”
Wiley slowly walked toward the dog, who patiently
watched his every step. As Wiley approached, he could see
that the dog was similar in appearance to him, but smaller,
with a coat of silver blue hair, black ears and large brown
eyes. The dog, a female, saw the intense stare of Wiley’s
blue eyes and sensed that he was in a desperate situation.
She had a calming presence and her wise eyes took in the
situation. She asked, “Do you need help?”
Wiley was taken back by the offer, but finally
managed to utter, “Yes, yes, we do. Actually there are
twelve of us,”
“Twelve?” said the female dog in disbelief.
“My friends and I have just escaped from a horrible
place and have no where to go.” Wiley remembered to
introduce himself. “I’m sorry. My name is Wiley.”
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“My name is Maggie. I can help you and your
friends,” said Maggie encouragingly.
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