Jared quickly got used to the routine of the pound. It wasn't too horrible - they had a large run that he could exercise in, and the dry dog food actually tasted OK. The animal wardens were nice to him, and a couple took time to play with him. From thier comments, he was a perfect German Shepherd male, maybe a year old. They couldn't understand why none of the families would adopt him. The days passed, and Jared realized his time was getting short.
The day before he would ahve to be put down, Carla, the keeper who played with him most, came to take him from his cage. She looked happy. "Come on, boy! You have a new home with the Police department!"
Police? Jared perked up as he saw the young officer who smiled when Carla brought him out. "What a beautiful animal! Does he have a name?"
Carla shook her head. "Nope - he just showed up at someone's house. You might remember - ten days ago? That kid who vanished?"
The cop shook his head. "That was weird. All of his clothes were accounted for, but he was gone. They think he might have been kidnapped. They found some sort of stone with the kid's clothing - it's locked up in the evidence room."
Then he knelt down and scratched Jared behind the ears. "You and me are gonna be partners, boy! You'll love being a police dog!"