Tenny, the Troubled Terrier

By John Ayotte

Welcome to the world of Tenny, The Troubled Terrier, an energetic, curious, playful, and sometimes troubled pooch. In this series of stories, you will follow Tenny from his birth through the early years of his life. With him, you will have exciting adventures, as well as many different and interesting experiences. You'll see him succeed, and you'll see him fail. Each time, Tenny will learn a valuable lesson about life. These stories are fun and interesting, but more importantly, they are a safe and secure place to learn about life, and the world that we live in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667880068

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Shady Valley Dog Catcher

Cody Johnson was enjoying the warm, spring temperatures, as he drove his gleaming, white truck through town. He rolled slowly down the quiet, shady streets that gave the community it’s name, Shady Valley. In bright red letters, on the side of the truck, the words Animal Control told everyone that it was their friend, Cody, behind the wheel.

Cody was the animal control officer for the town of Shady Valley, and the surrounding area. To the children of the town, he was known simply as, the dog catcher. To the adults, of the community, Cody was considered an honest, hardworking, and kind friend. It was not uncommon to see the bright, white truck parked on the side of the road, while Cody helped someone who was having car trouble. He was also the first person that old Mrs. Watson called, when she needed a ride to the store or the doctor’s office. None of these things were Cody’s responsibility, as the town’s animal control officer, but he was not the type of person who could turn his back on someone in need of assistance.

Cody did not limit his acts of kindness, to just his fellow townspeople. The animals that he encountered in his work, received the same respect and caring treatment that he practiced when dealing with people. His *motto was, I never met a critter I didn’t like. This kind and helpful nature was something that Cody had learned from his parents, when he was a boy. He often thought about the many lessons that his parents had taught him, and that have helped to make his life such a happy and rewarding one. Among these lessons, one seemed to stand out above all the rest. That lesson had to do with honesty and *integrity. The expression on his father’s face became more serious when he spoke of these matters. Son, there are certain things that you need to have as a man. You don’t need money, or a big house, or a fancy car. You don’t need to be smart or good looking, and you don’t need to have a great sense of humor. It doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor, or a lawyer, or a farmer. No matter what you are, or what you have, you won’t be respected if you’re not an honest, hardworking, and kind person. And son, be *generous. Always make sure that you give more than you get. If you do these things, not only will you be a good person, but you’ll be a happy person.

Cody had taken his father’s words seriously and he tried to live by them. His reward was the happiness that his father had spoken of. With a loving wife, good friends and the respect of the town, Cody was indeed a happy person.

It was just about eleven o’clock in the morning, when Cody heard a familiar voice come over his radio. Cody… Cody are you there? This is Jeanie from the Shady Valley Police Department.

Cody laughed. He and Jeanie had grown up together and spoke to each other every day, on the radio. They saw each other around town and chatted at the grocery store. They knew each other’s voices as well as they knew their own, and yet Jeanie added, from the Shady Valley Police Department, every time that she called him on the radio. Cody often teased her by asking, Jeanie who? He always got a *chuckle out of her response,

Don’t give me a hard time, Cody Johnson. You know exactly who this is. The good-natured joking was a sign of their friendship.

Today was different. There was something about Jeanie’s voice that told Cody that something was up. He picked up the microphone to his radio and said, Go ahead Jeanie, this is Cody.

When Jeanie responded, the concern in her voice was more apparent. Cody, we need you to go over to Maple Street. There is a stray dog over there, and it has been growling at anyone who comes near it.

Cody immediately turned his truck to head in the direction of Maple Street. He