The Great Dog Escape

By J.M. Forte

In this suspenseful thriller for kids, a group of various dogs from several different breeds, attempt to escape there prison of a kennel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483572482

Book preview

Twelve

Chapter One

In the middle of the courtyard at a large dog breeding compound, a young brown dachshund, Oscar, and an adult black pit bull, Prince are walking along the high fence. Prince has no ears, no tail, scars all over his body, and dark lines leading from his eyes down his face. He looks very beat up, but muscular, strong in stature, and street tough. A white greyhound puppy is running across the middle of the yard in the distance.

Prince, how did you end up here anyway?

I was taken from my home.

You weren’t born here? I thought all the pit bulls were.

No Oscar, I had a home and a family once. (Sighing)

So what happened?

My yard had a fence. I loved jumping over it, or tunneling under it.

You wanted to leave?

No, I just liked playing that way. I’d always come right back in. It was fun.

So your humans got mad at you and sent you here? Wow, tough punishment.

They never would have sent me here. (Depressed)

Daydreaming as he tells his story, Prince flashes back to his family’s backyard. He is much younger, tail and ears still intact, no lines or scars on his body, and he is happily playing in the yard. With every burst of energy he jumps over the fence, and then tunnels back in, over and over again. The yard has several toys for him, and the home is on a large property, clean and well kept. There are also children’s bicycles and toys lying around. The quiet neighborhood is disturbed by a loud screech, as a van pulls up near Prince’s backyard, stops short, and two men jump out. Before Prince can get back in his yard, they throw a blanket over his head, lift him off the ground, and throw him violently into the back of the van. There is a cage which they slam shut, and speed away. Prince barks, but is barely audible. One of his family humans, a young boy comes running out the back door to investigate the noise. He finds Prince’s toys in the yard, and no dog.

I tried barking as loud as I could, but nobody heard me. Then I felt a pinch, like getting a shot at the vet.

Young Prince wakes up groggy, laying on his side in a room unfamiliar to him. He is on a gurney style medical table, in the center of the room. He tries to stand up but realizes he is strapped down and muzzled. The bright light in his face makes it more terrifying because he can’t see who else is in the room. He can see cages stacked on top of each other against the wall, and there is a medicine cabinet containing gauze pads, vet steroids, supplements, tape, and syringes. Curiously enough, the room also has grooming equipment, tubs, and an empty puppy pen in the comer. On a desk by the front door, there is a closed circuit television system viewing security cameras, telephone, gambling slips, and a stun gun. There are also pictures of mean looking pit bulls, and the men who abducted him. The room overlooks the parking lot of the compound. As Prince gets his awareness back, his ears are sliced off with a surgical blade by a human he could not see standing behind his head. The ears gush blood, as his tail is tied with rubber bands, and hacked off with one chop with a surgical style meat cleaver. Prince’s scream can be heard through the muzzle. The pain as well as loss of blood causes him to eventually pass out. The humans wrap the ears and tail with bandages.

Just like that, my tail and ears were gone. It hurt more than anything I’ve ever felt before.

Oscar has a shocked look on his face, as they turn around heading back toward the kennel building.

I thought you lost your ears in the fighting ring.

No, they made me this way, so that when I fight, the other dog will have a few less things to bite.

Pit bull kidnapping! I’ve never read about anything like that. Do you like fighting? Sounds like fun.

Prince, shaking his head in disapproval says. Why don’t you come to the fights tonight and see for yourself?

I would love too! I hope you win. Oh, but how do I get out of my cage?

I’ll dig you a hole.(Unenthusiastic)

See you at seven. I can’t wait!

Oscar sneaks out, and hides underneath makeshift bleacher seats in the old barn at the rear of the compound. This place is dirty, falling apart, and not at all