Back at the hideout, Astro and Bouncer had returned
and told Buster they found no food. “Where’s Wiley?”
Buster asked.
At that moment, Wiley entered the rear door of the
hideout and informed the gang that if they were hungry,
there was food back at Kate’s. As soon as he got the words
out of his mouth, Wiley found himself standing all alone.
So he quickly returned to Kate’s to fill his very empty
stomach as Maggie watched from a distance.
After the Blue Collar Gang had their fill at Kate’s,
they returned to the hideout. A cool evening breeze made it
very comfortable and the gang relaxed in the back yard.
Wiley approached Buster as he rested and made a
suggestion. “Tomorrow we’ll work up our game plan. I
want to get this show on the road,” said Wiley.
Buster, who was almost asleep, grunted, “Yea,
tomorrow.”
The next day, an older car rounded a corner and came
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down the street. As the car slowed to a stop, a door opened
and suddenly an older Golden Retriever was pushed out on
the street as the car took off. The bewildered dog was left at
the side of the street completely helpless. Within a couple
of minutes, a white van appeared, driven by an institute
driver with his co-worker and slowly approached the
abandoned dog. The driver barked instructions. “That's an
old dog. This will be easy. I'll just go by him and stop. You
get out and get his attention and I'll come around from
behind him and grab him.”
“No problem,” affirmed the co-worker. The van
passed the old dog and came to a stop. The co-worker got
out and approached the dog who was still so dazed he just
stood there looking around. “Easy boy, I have a biscuit,” he
said calmly.
While he waved the biscuit in the air, the driver crept
around the van with a noose at the end of a long handle and
began to slip it over the terrified dog. At that very moment,
Wiley hollered out a command to the gang, “Go get him!”
As the Blue Collar gang charged out of the yard of a
nearby house, the men were caught by surprise, alarmed by
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the fierce barking and howling. The van driver yelled,
“Forget the dog. Back to the truck.”
“Cut them off,” demanded Buster, and the gang
swarmed around the two dog catchers, stopping them from
reaching the truck.
Inspired by memories of riding beside John over the
years Wiley shouted, “I’ll try to move the truck.” He
jumped into the van with the motor still running and tried
to get the truck to move.
Then Buster, Bouncer and Astro surrounded the van
driver and his assistant, and the men began backing away
from the barking dogs. “Bouncer, Astro and I will keep
these bozos busy,” Buster shouted. Gibraltar and Duke then
rushed to the aid of the disoriented retriever and guided him
away from the truck on down the street.
“Just stay with us,” Duke advised.
At that moment, Wiley managed to get the truck in
gear, and as it began to move down the street, he jumped
out. The van driver couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“My truck,” he screamed with horror.
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The gang watched as the men ran after the truck,
which slowly rolled down the street with two dog catchers
in pursuit, until it hit a tree. Then the dogs broke loose with
a massive victory bark of woofs, howls and roars heard
throughout the Canine Triangle. They had completed their
first raid and joyfully began to make their way to Kate’s
with their first rescued dog.
Duke introduced himself and the gang to the
abandoned dog. “We're the "Blue Collar Gang. This is
Wiley, Buster, Gibraltar, Bouncer, Astro and I'm Duke.”
“I'm Rex. I don't understand why,” the lost dog said
sadly, “my owner just dumped me on the street.”
Buster approached Rex and assured him. “Rex, we'll
take you to a lady who will help you.”
The Blue Collar gang arrived at the yellow house,
went around to the alley, and helped Rex into the rear yard.
Rex tried to put up a brave front, but he was still in shock.
“Where am I?” he asked.
“You’re safe here, Rex,” said Gibraltar, looking up at
him. “You’re at Kate’s New Life Rescue Home.”
“You guys are great,” said a thankful Rex.
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Kate came out of the house to see what was
happening. The gang stood in a circle around Rex. She
quickly realized that the lost dog needed attention and
guided him over to a shaded area. As she examined him she
said, “Poor guy. You need to rest.” Then she addressed the
Blue Collar gang. “I'll do what I can for him and any dogs
you bring me.” Kate then pointed to the rear of the yard
where there were six bowls. “There will always be food
and water for you,” she said softly.
It was evening when the gang began to return to the
hideout. Maggie had been observing from a distance what
had happened and decided she must talk with Wiley. She
cut him off before he went through the hole in the fence.
“Wait a minute. We need to talk,” she said.
“Why don’t you walk with me as we go back to the
hideout,” asked Wiley. So Maggie began walking side by
side with Wiley down the rear alley behind her home. They
found themselves engaged in a serious discussion as they
trailed behind the other blue collar dogs.
Maggie was worried and needed some answers.
“Wiley, what’s happening? There is this secret hideout
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your Blue Collar gang is rescuing dogs off the streets, I see
dog catchers driving around in white vans chasing dogs up
and down the triangle.”
Wiley interrupted. “Maggie, Maggie, hold on. The
gang has decided, with your and Kate’s help, to rescue as
many of the abandoned dogs as we can. You know what
will happen if we don’t.”
“I know, I know but….” fussed Maggie.
“Maggie, we know the odds are stacked against us,”
conceded Wiley.
Maggie thought for a moment and with an
encouraging smile looked Wiley straight in the eyes and
said, “Forget the odds. We can win. We have to.”
Wiley and Maggie had fallen back from the gang as
they talked, so when they arrived at the hideout, the other
dogs had gone inside the old bungalow. As they entered the
rear yard of the hideout, Wiley stopped and pointed at the
old run-down bungalow, “Well, This is it. Now you know.”
Maggie began to comment, “So this is……”
At that moment, out of the old bungalow’s back door
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burst Gibraltar shouting, “Clear out! Skunks!”
Bouncer, Buster, Astro, and Duke scrambled out
right behind him, all coughing and choking with watering
eyes. Gibraltar sprinted over to the muddy water hole and
dove in. Soon all the other dogs were rolling around in the
mud and water. Bouncer shouted, “We’ll have to leave a
guard here.”
“If the skunks want this place they can have it,”
yelled Duke.
The skunk odor hit Wiley and Maggie like a tidal
wave and they both backed away from the bungalow and
the dogs. Both of them began to cough and their eyes
watered. Maggie couldn’t contain herself and began to
laugh and teased Wiley, “You sure have a fragrant
hideout.”
The other dogs milled around, resembling walking
mud balls. Astro complained, “My coat will never smell the
same.”
“Maybe all my fleas bailed out,” said Bouncer,
looking on the bright side of the dilemma. The dogs then
wandered toward Wiley and Maggie, “Keep your distance
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You guys stink,” warned Wiley.
Buster said firmly, “We have to move on. There’s a
junker up the street I’ve had my eye on.”
Maggie had seen enough and knew Kate would be
concerned if she didn’t get home. “I have get back,” she
said, still coughing on the skunk fumes.
Embarrassed, Wiley muttered, “I’ll let you know
when we have a new place.” The gang watched as Maggie
leaned forward, nuzzled Wiley, and headed for home,
leaving Wiley frozen like a statue with a big smile on his
face.
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