Toby: We’d been having a good time with mom and dad. They were mostly working last week, but they did take us to a dog park. Good Times. It had rained a few days before and this one had some really good mud holes. I went swimming in one. When we got home, mom gave me a bath (which I don’t really like) and she rubbed me down with a warm towel (which I really like). For some reason, before we came inside she folded up the new rug I like to rub my face on. So rude!

Rey: The next day we went on a long ride. Usually when they put that long silver thing behind the truck, we have adventures. This was after they did more of that thing where they box up everything and remove it. I started to doubt that this would be as much fun as the muddy dog park.

When we got to some warm place that smelled like the beach (I think they said Beaufort, South Carolina?), they walked around with some new people. We even smelled that they had dogs! I bet we could have run on the beach and gotten nice and sandy. For some reason, we weren’t allowed to play with the other canines. The parents hooked us up outside the silver thing for a while, like they do when we’re going to camp. Then they put us in the truck and LEFT the silver thing!  Do you think they just forgot? Maybe they’ll get back to it later. I heard the new dogs liked our fun place.

Toby: What happened next was just bizarre. They said we were in Charleston at a luxury K9 Pet Resort. All I know is that there were lots of other dogs. Before we even got in, I could smell all the pee on the pillars outside. Then someone took our leashes into an area with big pens with bars on top. PRISON! WHAT DID WE DO WRONG?  All the other dogs barked when we came in saying, “Fresh meat! Fresh meat!” 

The next day, we still didn’t see the parents. The wardens took us to a big area to “play” with other dogs. I just kept to myself and panted. 

Rey: I saw they had those lever handled door openers. I just learned how to use those at Grandpa Mitchell’s! Maybe if I opened the doors, there would be a cat on the other side like in Sag Harbor. I was so excited, I kept opening the door. Then the wardens put us back in our cell. They only let us out to play with the people in the mornings. At least we had each other in the cell and they didn’t put us in solitary. 

Toby: The last morning we were there they gave us another bath! Didn’t they smell that we just had one!  How many do we need in a year?!  Mom and Dad came back and we got to see Rachel and Brianna for a little while, but they wouldn’t let us into their house that night. I was sick for a couple of days. Maybe they thought my cough meant I had Covid? 

Rey: We’ve had a nice couple of days since then. They took us someplace they called Raleigh and we stayed in a nice hotel. Now we’re back in the apartment with the great new rug and couch so you can rub your face. I wonder where we’ll go next?