The Gentle Giant
In the Pooch Pound dogs’ home, a family were crouching at the bars of the far kennel, gently calling to a large white mound with big black patches. The Great Dane was
lying on a blanket with his back to the visitors and, like every other day they had come to meet him, the dog wouldn’t budge.
The disappointed family left with the warden, hurrying past three noisy kennels on their way to the door. Butch howled and growled and frothed like a fountain, Poppy bounded in circles snapping
at her tail, while Rocket barked as loud as he could. But when the door closed behind the visitors, the room fell silent and the three dogs sniffed the air.
asked Butch, wiping the drool from his mouth.
‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Poppy, poking her nose through the bars to take another sniff.
‘A goat?’ laughed Butch. ‘Humans don’t keep goats as pets.’
‘They could,’ Poppy said uncertainly.
Butch and Poppy looked at Rocket, who had the sharpest nose and was usually the first to list all of the pets the visitors kept at home. Other dogs and cats were easy to identify, but this
family smelt of something much more unusual.
said Rocket. The brown mutt twitched his shiny black nose and frowned in concentration.
‘Not as big as me,’ said a deep voice from the far kennel.
The three dogs turned to Duke, the shy Great Dane.
The gentle giant had arrived at the Pooch Pound a week ago when his family decided he was too large to manage. Duke had been returned to the Pooch Pound many times before for the same reason and
this had made him very conscious of his size.
‘Whatever pets the family have, they obviously want to give you a home too,’ said Poppy, gazing up as Duke heaved himself to his full height. ‘They’ve come to see you
every day this week – maybe you should give them a chance.’
‘But I’ll bump into their furniture and break things without meaning to,’ Duke sighed, lowering his head. ‘I don’t want them to be cross with me like all the other
families, so I’m staying here where I won’t be any trouble.’
slobbered Butch.
Rocket and Poppy frowned at their kennel mate.
‘I can
smell
doughnuts,’ Butch added, dribbling on the floor. ‘Which means the night warden has arrived, so no one else will be in here until morning rounds!’
Rocket tilted his head and twitched his ear, then he nodded to Butch and Poppy that it was time to leave. The three dogs quickly bunched up their blankets, cleared away chew toys and took up
positions in the middle of their kennels, directly beneath the light. Duke watched through the bars, knowing that the Spacemutts would soon be off on another intergalactic adventure.
‘Are you sure you won’t come with us?’ asked Poppy, aware that the Great Dane had declined their offer every other night and probably wouldn’t change his mind.
‘There’s lots of space in space,’ added Butch.
Duke smiled, but slowly shook his head. He wished he were brave enough to join his friends – to travel through the galaxy defending the Earth against feline foes. But he felt much too big
and clumsy and was sure he would only get in their way.
Rocket swiped his collar with a paw, which made the chrome spikes light up round his neck. ‘This is Rocket calling the
Dogstar
,’ he said. ‘Come in,
Dogstar
.’
‘Hello, Captain,’ said the female voice of WOOF, the spaceship’s onboard computer. ‘Everything is prepped for boarding. Can I confirm only three teleports again this
evening?’
Rocket looked over at the fourth kennel where the Great Dane stretched his hind legs and gave a long, low groan. The captain knew big dogs needed lots of exercise and wondered if an adventure
with the Spacemutts could also give Duke the confidence he needed to trust a new family.
‘Captain?’ WOOF repeated, waiting for the command.
‘Make that
four
teleports,’ whispered Rocket. ‘Over and out.’
Moments later the domed lights began to
In the Pooch Pound dogs’ home, a family were crouching at the bars of the far kennel, gently calling to a large white mound with big black patches. The Great Dane was
lying on a blanket with his back to the visitors and, like every other day they had come to meet him, the dog wouldn’t budge.
The disappointed family left with the warden, hurrying past three noisy kennels on their way to the door. Butch howled and growled and frothed like a fountain, Poppy bounded in circles snapping
at her tail, while Rocket barked as loud as he could. But when the door closed behind the visitors, the room fell silent and the three dogs sniffed the air.
asked Butch, wiping the drool from his mouth.
‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Poppy, poking her nose through the bars to take another sniff.
‘A goat?’ laughed Butch. ‘Humans don’t keep goats as pets.’
‘They could,’ Poppy said uncertainly.
Butch and Poppy looked at Rocket, who had the sharpest nose and was usually the first to list all of the pets the visitors kept at home. Other dogs and cats were easy to identify, but this
family smelt of something much more unusual.
said Rocket. The brown mutt twitched his shiny black nose and frowned in concentration.
‘Not as big as me,’ said a deep voice from the far kennel.
The three dogs turned to Duke, the shy Great Dane.
The gentle giant had arrived at the Pooch Pound a week ago when his family decided he was too large to manage. Duke had been returned to the Pooch Pound many times before for the same reason and
this had made him very conscious of his size.
‘Whatever pets the family have, they obviously want to give you a home too,’ said Poppy, gazing up as Duke heaved himself to his full height. ‘They’ve come to see you
every day this week – maybe you should give them a chance.’
‘But I’ll bump into their furniture and break things without meaning to,’ Duke sighed, lowering his head. ‘I don’t want them to be cross with me like all the other
families, so I’m staying here where I won’t be any trouble.’
slobbered Butch.
Rocket and Poppy frowned at their kennel mate.
‘I can
smell
doughnuts,’ Butch added, dribbling on the floor. ‘Which means the night warden has arrived, so no one else will be in here until morning rounds!’
Rocket tilted his head and twitched his ear, then he nodded to Butch and Poppy that it was time to leave. The three dogs quickly bunched up their blankets, cleared away chew toys and took up
positions in the middle of their kennels, directly beneath the light. Duke watched through the bars, knowing that the Spacemutts would soon be off on another intergalactic adventure.
‘Are you sure you won’t come with us?’ asked Poppy, aware that the Great Dane had declined their offer every other night and probably wouldn’t change his mind.
‘There’s lots of space in space,’ added Butch.
Duke smiled, but slowly shook his head. He wished he were brave enough to join his friends – to travel through the galaxy defending the Earth against feline foes. But he felt much too big
and clumsy and was sure he would only get in their way.
Rocket swiped his collar with a paw, which made the chrome spikes light up round his neck. ‘This is Rocket calling the
Dogstar
,’ he said. ‘Come in,
Dogstar
.’
‘Hello, Captain,’ said the female voice of WOOF, the spaceship’s onboard computer. ‘Everything is prepped for boarding. Can I confirm only three teleports again this
evening?’
Rocket looked over at the fourth kennel where the Great Dane stretched his hind legs and gave a long, low groan. The captain knew big dogs needed lots of exercise and wondered if an adventure
with the Spacemutts could also give Duke the confidence he needed to trust a new family.
‘Captain?’ WOOF repeated, waiting for the command.
‘Make that
four
teleports,’ whispered Rocket. ‘Over and out.’
Moments later the domed lights began to
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