The sun was rising as the vet finished checking Shelly and gave her a clean bill of health.
‘I’ve heard of gulls stealing tortoises from gardens if they’re desperate enough,’ she said. ‘They drop them from a height to try to break them open. Shelly and Crawly were lucky that the gull couldn’t fly well or high. That’s all that saved them.’
‘That and a brave fox and a mighty dog!’ chirped Shelly.
The vet gave Mr Dog a final check-up too. ‘I believe that this paw is healed,’ she said. ‘Are you going to keep him?’
‘You know I take in a lot of strays. I look after them for as long as they need me.’ Minnah smiled. ‘Something tells me that no one gets to keep this dog!’
Mr Dog held up his healed paw to Minnah, and she took it for a gentle handshake. She had been a lovely pet human, but he knew she understood: he was a hound who could never be happy in one place. Not when there was such a big world to explore, and other animals who might need his help.
I suppose I’m a little bit wild at heart myself, thought Mr Dog.
The vet stayed to help the wildlife response team carefully catch the injured herring gull and her chick. Mr Dog watched to be sure they were both all right, and then, quietly, slipped away.
He roamed the streets of the city, back sticking to the shadows, sniffing about for Ferdy’s trail. It’s a good job foxes have such a strong scent, he thought.
But soon he realised where the smell-trail was leading him – straight back to Ryan’s new neighbourhood!
Oh, no, thought Mr Dog. Surely Ferdy can’t be going back to Ryan after what happened last night?
Mr Dog waited in the square park, out of sight in some bushes, keeping an eye on Ryan’s house. The building was quiet and empty.
Hours passed and night fell. Then Ryan’s van drove up and parked outside. Ryan got out and went through his red front door.
‘Oh, no!’ Mr Dog whimpered. ‘What if Ryan has taken Ferdy far away again?’
He started forward from the bushes, ready to give the van a good sniffing. Yes… sure enough, he could smell Ferdy! The smell was getting stronger…
‘Hello, Mr Dog!’ Ferdy poked his head out from underneath the van. ‘Fancy seeing you here!’
Mr Dog gave a big doggy grin of relief. ‘Hello to you too,’ he said. ‘But I did not fancy seeing you here.’
‘Sorry to surprise you,’ said Ferdy with a grin. ‘I was hiding behind a tree and saw you sneaking over, so I came to meet you!’
‘You really shouldn’t stay this close to Ryan, you know. That part of your life has ended.’
‘I know it has,’ said Ferdy brightly. ‘I came here to start another life…’
‘With ME!’ The next moment, Vix pushed her head out from under the van beside him, her single fang gleaming in the moonlight. ‘I’ve wanted a mate to hang around with for ages.
I reckon Ferdy and I will get along pretty well!’
‘I think so too!’ Ferdy nipped her playfully on the nose. ‘We’re going to leave this part of town and find a new place – just Vix and me.’
Vix nodded happily. ‘We might even have cubs some day!’
‘Well, I think a fresh start sounds like the perfect plan… For me too!’ Mr Dog sat and held up a paw in farewell. ‘I must find a new place, and new adventures. But one day I shall come back and see how you’re getting on. Yes, I shall.’ As he padded away, he looked back and gave his biggest doggy grin. ‘You’re not a faraway fox any more, Ferdy. From now on, you’re a close-together fox – and you’ll stay that way for always!’
