CHAPTER SIXTEEN

     It was afternoon the same day. Doctor Howl had just

found out about Moose’s rescue by the Blue Collar Gang

and was pacing back and forth in front of his staff. “I've

had it,” he shouted. “What is happening? Dogs are

rescuing dogs, our vans are running into trees, and there

have been no new dogs from the triangle. I will not stand

for a pack of mongrels delaying my experiments.”

     “What can we do?” asked the staff.

Doctor Howl cried out, “What can you do? Run them

down, shoot them with tranquilizer guns, and capture

them.”

     “I can’t understand how they are surviving,” said one

of the staff with concern.

     “Someone is helping them,” said Doctor Howl. “We

have to find that person. Capture a Blue Collar dog and I'll

do the rest. Now get out of here,” ordered the doctor.

     It was the end of day and the gang was in the shade of

an old oak tree in the rear yard of the hideout. They were

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kicking back, enjoying their recent successful rescues of

Rex and Moose.

     “Rex and Moose had no idea that they were going to

be experimental guinea pigs,” said Astro seriously.

     “Neither did their owners who abandoned them,”

stated Bouncer. “They thought the Canine Triangle was

some magical place that would save their dogs.”

     Bouncer looked over at Astro. “How did you end up

on the street?”

     “I was in the middle of a very ugly divorce between

my owners,” said Astro. “They couldn't agree who I should

stay with. It was tearing me up, so I finally just took off.”

     Duke broke into the conversation. “When your family

loses their home, there's no place for a dog. I guess I was

the odd dog out.”

     “I just outlived my owners,” chipped in Gibraltar.

     Maggie and Wiley were listening to the gang with

interest when Gibraltar asked, “Maggie, how did you meet

Kate?”

     “I was just a pup when I was left on Kate’s doorstep.

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She adopted me. I was very lucky,” said a thankful Maggie.

     Wiley knew he was next, so he volunteered, “I was

born under a crumbling little shack like our hideout. My

brothers, sisters, mom and I were abandoned there by our

owner. We ventured out to look for food and were

discovered by two men, Don and John, who were building

a house next door. They found a home for all of us,

including Whisky my mom. John adopted me.”

     Buster had been listening to the gang and stared at

Wiley and began to laugh. “And now you're here because

you fell out of a car. I can’t believe it.”

     “I jumped out. There's a difference,” snapped Wiley.

     Maggie didn’t want the two to argue so she stood up

and announced, “I have to go.” Wiley got up and left with

Maggie. The gang all watched and Buster had a big smile

on his face.

     As Wiley and Maggie walked down the moonlit alley,

Maggie thought about how the Blue Collar dogs had ended

up without homes. “I know how fortunate I am to be with

Kate. You must miss your family,” she said to Wiley

wistfully.

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“I do. I was part of a family. I had jobs to do every

day,” answered Wiley.

“What did you do?” asked Maggie.

“I'm a herder. So that's what I did, even though there

were only two people to herd.”

“Just two?” laughed Maggie.

“Well, mainly one. John. I had to wake him up every

morning and then see that he made it to the kitchen so I

would be fed. You had to keep an eye on him. He was

always pushing the envelope, working on all his projects,”

Wiley said, recalling one day that almost ended tragically.

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