To another plea from Kevin to take Jared/Shaggy and go home, the officer responded by telling the boy that he didn't look old enough to come to the park by himself.
"I came with my brother," Kevin said, figuring that, technically, he wasn't telling a lie.
"Yeah? Where's he at, kid?"
Inside the shed, the transformed teenager kept sniffing for an exit. One narrow window too far above the floor to be useful taunted him. That was no good, unless...
What if he pushed the desk chair in front of the window and scrambled out of the shed? It was worth a try and, fortunately, the swivel chair rolled on wheels, making it easy for Jared to push in front of the window. He might have made it, but the door opened and a startled animal control employee, catching the canine escape artist in the act, reacted quickly and got a noose around the dog's neck. Using the chokehold at the end of a long plastic pole, the man maneuvered Jared from the shed to a waiting white truck emblazoned with the letters and insignia identifying the vehicle as property of the municipal pound.
Jared barked and growled while Kevin went nuts, screaming for someone to rescue his dog. After he got the dog secured in a cage in the back of the truck, the city employee calmly distributed a card to Kevin. "That's our number, kid. Give that to your folks and they can come claim your dog."
Jared howled in sheer desperation as he realized that they really meant to haul his shaggy ass to the city pound. Damn Kevin and damn that medallion!