Dr. Howl was regrouping and was far from giving up.
He knew Astro had a chip implanted in him which would
identify his location and would eventually be picked up.
“We will pick up the trail,” he assured everyone.
Within a few minutes the technician with the monitor
began to notice something on his screen. “Doctor, I'm
picking up the signal again,” he said. “They gave us the
slip, but all we have to do is follow the chip. Let's go,”
insisted Dr. Howl.
The institute team, following behind the technician
with the monitor and Dr. Howl, moved quickly toward an
old garage on the property next door. But as they neared the
garage, the signal began indicating another direction.
Meanwhile the gang was moving as fast as they could
with Astro, supporting him as the gang came down the
alley to Kate’s house.
Across town, Brad was sitting in the rear of the Java
Shack, across the street from the County Animal Control
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Center. He was in deep thought, staring at the cup of coffee
in front of him, and appeared to be very tired and stressed
out. Just then John entered the coffee shop, noticed Brad
and went over to his table. “Can I talk to you a minute?”
asked John.
Brad looked up from his coffee, saw John, but was in
no mood to chat. “Listen, I don’t ....,” Brad began.
But John interrupted. “Just two minutes, please.”
“Sit down,” Brad motioned reluctantly. The two men
sat there for a moment, and then John began explaining his
situation. “I lost my dog Wiley and I've been all over
searching for him. I’ve checked the animal control center
every day.”
Brad began to open up a little. “I know. I've seen you
there,” he said.
“I don’t know what to do anymore. Can you help
me?” pleaded John.
Brad just sat there saying nothing and stared at his
coffee. Finally, he shook his head and exclaimed, “What
can I do? There are just too many dogs and cats. You have
been there and seen for yourself that the center is over
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crowded. There is no room for any more animals,” said a
concerned Brad.
While John knew that the animal control center was a
disaster, he was easy on Brad. “You guys are doing the best
you can with so many abandoned pets. It’s a horrible
situation,” said John sadly.
“I didn't join CCAC to put animals to death,” Brad
continued. “I joined to rescue animals and see that they
found a good home.”
John then brought out his wallet and began to take out
a picture of Wiley. “I'd like to show....”,
“Seeing the heartbreak and stress his actions have
caused John, Brad just unloads on what he has been doing.
“You won't believe it. I have been involved in a program of
relocating older dogs from animal control to the
university’s animal research institute,” confessed Brad.
“You and who else?” asked John.
“I’m the lowest guy on the totem poll. This goes to
the top,” confirmed Brad.
When John heard Brad’s confession, he temporarily
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forgot about Wiley. "I don't understand why you would do
such a thing,” John said with anger.
“I was told that nobody wanted older dogs that didn’t
have a chance of being adopted. They said it was a win-win
situation for the CACC because it lowered the number of
dogs and the institute paid for them,” said Brad. He put his
hands over his eyes and just stopped talking for a moment,
trying to regain his composure. “Boy was I wrong. That
crazy doctor at the institute just wanted the dogs for painful
medical experiments,” said Brad remorsefully.
John listened to Brad’s story in disbelief. “I don't
believe it. You have to report this,” John insisted.
“I know, I know,” Brad agreed.
It suddenly occurred to John that Wiley was one of
the dogs and he grabbed his wallet, took out a photo of
Wiley, and slid it across the table to Brad. “Did you ever
see my dog Wiley?” he asked.
Brad picked up the photo and intently studied Wiley’s
picture. John watched as Brad’s facial expression became
very serious. “Wiley, that's the coyote dog. Yes,” affirmed
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Brad. “We did pick him up off the street. Then we moved
him over to the institute later that night.”
John jumped to his feet. “You have to take me there,”
he demanded.
Back at the Canine Triangle the Blue Collar Gang had
made their way from the back alley into the rear yard of
Kate’s old yellow house and quietly slipped into the storage
shed. Astro was the last Blue Collar dog in, assisted by
Bouncer and Duke. Astro looked at his friends and said
weakly. “Thanks you guys.”
“Somehow they seem to be able to track us,” said Buster
as he observed Astro.
Only a few minutes passed before Dr. Howl and his
posse arrived at the front of Kate’s house. The technician
looking at the monitor pointed at the house. “They are in
there,” he stated emphatically. Immediately Dr. Howl
stormed up to the front door and pounded on the door.
Inside Kate and Jan were discussing how to get the last five
dogs that Kate had inherited safely out of the triangle.
“All the dogs are in my van, I don’t have room for
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any more at my shelter,” said Jan. “You have to let those
blue collar dogs go and concentrate on finding Maggie.”
“You’re a godsend,” said Kate. “You’re right. It’s
Maggie who needs me now.”
They were both startled by a loud knocking at the
front door. Kate went to the door and opened it, finding
herself face to face with a frantic little man in a white
smock. Behind him was a large group of people in white
smocks.
“I want my dogs back,” demanded Dr. Howl.
Kate was completely confused and hesitated a
moment before responding. Jan joined her on the front
porch. “What dogs?” Kate asked.
“What dogs?” snarled Dr. Howl. “My dogs. The dogs
are from the Institute of Animal Research. They’re part of
very important medical experiments.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Kate.
Dr. Howl pointed at Kate and shouted, “The dogs you
are protecting have been assigned into my medical research
project.”
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Jan stepped up in support of Kate and pointedly
asked, “What project?”
“Listen. It's for you, for me, for all of us so we can
live longer lives. I'm about to make a major breakthrough
in extending human life,” Dr. Howl responded.
Kate had had enough of this phony. “These poor stray
abandoned pets are not fodder for experimentation. I do not
want to live longer at their expense,” she insisted. “The
SPCA, local animal shelters and people like us will find
homes for them.”
“No one wants these dogs,” laughed Dr. Howl.
Kate and Jan both shouted, “We do.”
Then Kate pointed to the street, “Now get off my
property.”
As Dr. Howl stood defiantly in front of Kate, he
noticed the picture of Maggie in a locket hanging from her
neck. Kate saw the smirk on his face as he stared at the
locket. The doctor then turned around, retreated down the
stairs, and went out the front gate yelling, “I'm calling the
police.”
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“Call who ever you want. I could care less,” replied
Kate as she and Jan went back into the house, slamming the
door shut.
A few minutes after Dr. Howl placed his call to the
police, a couple of patrol cars arrived at the scene, and two
officers approached the doctor. Kate and Jan observed the
arrival of the police from the front window of the living
room.
“What a nut case,” exclaimed Jan. “Look at him
jumping up and down and pointing at your house.”
Kate was not going to stand for being harassed by a
crazy doctor. “I'm going out there,” she said calmly.
“I'm with you,” assured Jan, and the two women went
out to meet the police officers.
Pointing at the Doctor, Kate said, “That man is
harassing me.”
“She has stolen my dogs,” Dr. Howl hollered.
As the argument grew in intensity, so did the noise
factor. Inside the old storage shed, Wiley had his ears
straight up listening. While the other dogs were resting, he
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slipped out and worked his way around the side of the
house where he could see what was happening. Freezing in
his tracks at the sight of Dr. Howl, he observed the scene
and realized that the gang was in danger and left to warn
them.
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