Whiskers

By Donald H Sullivan

A man has a job transfer and moves his family to another city. He decides that taking the family dog, Whiskers, is too much trouble, so the little dog is left to fend for himself. He briefly joins a pack of dogs. He is then picked up by animall control while the street-wise pack members escape. He is finally rescued by a retired Florida couple. After several months a strong bond develops between Whiskers and his new family.
But misfortune strikes when his master has an auto accident when avoiding a deer crossing his path. Whiskers is thrown from the car and wanders away in a state of shock. At a rest stop, a kindly woman and her daughter, thinking Whiskers a stray, pick him up. They take him along with them until he manages to escape them at a motel near El Paso, Texas. He is fond of the woman and her daughter, but the call to return home, though 2000 miles away, is strong.
During his travels, the little dog goes through an alligator infested Florida swamp, the northern Chihuahuan Desert, and over highways. He encounters a gator, poisonous snakes, a cougar, a bear, wolves, a racoon, a fox, and becomes protector of a sack full of castaway kittens. He encounters good people and bad, including a highway patrolman, a traveling vagabond musician, a thief, and members of a dog fighting ring with their pit bulls.
Through it all, Whiskers never gives up in trying to find his way back to his home and beloved family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donald H Sullivan
• Release date: Apr 18, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458106698

Donald H Sullivan

I'm a native Floridian, retired from the US Army, I started writing in the army, mostly training and tech manuals. Boring stuff, but it whetted my interest in writing. I've written sci-fi, thrillers, mysteries, humor, fantasies, horror, and more. I'm now living in NC. While in the army, I served in air defense artillery, military intelligence, and psychological operations. I also worked in Federal Civil Service as a quality assurance specialist, ammunition surveillance. I love writing, reading, most kinds of music, and animals--especially dogs.

Book preview

WHISKERS

Donald H Sullivan

Copyright 2010 by Donald H Sullivan

Smashwords Edition

~~*~~

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

About the Author

Chapter 1

Abandoned

Amy peered through the window at Joey and Whiskers, who were playing together in the back yard. Her eyes blurred with tears and a lump formed in her throat as she watched the boy and dog romping. She turned and faced her husband, who was sitting at the kitchen table having coffee.

Larry, I honestly wish I could find a way to make you change your mind. Her voice choked. We've had Whiskers since he was a small puppy. Don't you feel even a little attached to him?

Forget it, Hon. Sure, I like the dog, but we have to be practical. Sorry, but my mind's made up. Can't you remember the problems we had the last time I got transferred? Always looking for motels that would accept dogs. Making all those stops at rest areas and then waiting for the dog to do his business. And finding a place to rent was a hassle because of him. I could go on.

What about Joey? He'll be broken hearted when he learns that we're not taking Whiskers along. And to be honest, I will, too. I think of him almost as a family member.

Larry chuckled. Joey'll get over it in a few days, and so will you. Just be glad I'm not having the dog put to sleep. Look, Hon, I promise that I'll find a nice neighborhood to leave him. He sipped on his coffee. Look, a cute little dog like Whiskers will be picked up by someone for sure. He'll have a new home in no time.

Amy knew that it would be useless to push it any further. She had already begged and pleaded and they'd had a big argument about it. But Larry would not give in.

She turned her attention back to the kitchen window. She doubted that she--or Joey--would get over it in a few days, as Larry had predicted.

She remembered Twinkle, a little black and orange kitten from her childhood that had strayed away and never returned. She'd had the kitten but a few weeks, but had grown to love it dearly in that time.

Her mother promised her another kitten and assured her that she would get over the loss of Twinkle in a few days. But she grieved for a long, long time, imagining all sorts of things that might have happened to her beloved little pet.

Whiskers had been with them nearly two years now. Joey's uncle, Amy's brother, had rescued the mixed breed pup and given it to the boy. Joey had been begging for a dog and he and Whiskers bonded almost immediately.

Larry had only grudgingly allowed Joey to accept the puppy. He was not a cruel man, but had grown up in a family without pets of any kind. He simply had no experience to identify with a boy's love for a dog.

The boy and the dog were now playing tug o' war with an old towel. Now that school was out the eight-year-old Joey had but few friends to play with on a regular basis. The neighborhood was made up mostly of retirees and childless couples. There were a couple of girls his age and Joey liked them, but boys and girls of that age didn't enjoy the same kinds of games.

Joey was tugging on the towel when he slipped, falling flat on his back. As Joey was lying there, Whiskers ran to him and began licking his face. Amy's instinct was to run to the aid of her son, but he began to giggle as he grabbed the little dog and the two rolled in the grass.

Yes, Amy thought, Joey was young and flexible and he would eventually get over it. Time would erase his heartache and dim the memory of his little pal. But it

Reviews for Whiskers

[SocorroBaptista · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Muita coragem e resiliência do pequeno cão em busca de seu lar. Além disso, essa narrativa também nos mostra como o ser humano pode ser cruel com pequenos animais. Um excelente livro para crianças de todas as idades.