The cobbled streets of the small Cuban town were just as full of dogs as they were of people. While some dogs had collars, most of them were skinny strays.

“All right, Adrianna. Just like we practiced, talk about the dogs of Cuba for a little bit,” Mark said.

I nodded and looked at the camera, its red light now on to signal that Mark was rolling. I was surrounded by dogs here in Cuba, most of them satos, or mutts, that often go unnoticed. As we walked along these colorful streets, I couldn’t help but pay attention to every single puppy.

“Look at that one over there! His fluffy ears are so cute!” I yelled.

I was pretty sure the guys already regretted bringing me along for this segment. But it wasn’t my fault the dogs had all completely stolen my heart!

I bent down and held out a dog treat to a small, fluffy white dog passing by. “Check it out! It’s a bichon,” I said. I once wanted a bichon because they reminded me of clouds, and I was surprised to see one as a stray here. She wagged her tail and trotted toward me. Her cold snout pressed up against my hand as she lapped up the dog treat and looked for more.

It wasn’t until she shook her whole body that I heard the familiar jingle of a collar. Hidden under her fluffy fur was a small ID badge clipped on her collar. I showed it off to the camera. “Throughout the country, dogs are hired for very important jobs! They are given official ID badges like this one, a place to live, and medical care from local vets. Some dogs even hang out with the police and help fight crime.”

The puppy nuzzled up to me as I let go of her collar and took another dog treat out of the plastic baggie I had in my pocket. I smiled back at the camera as she began gleefully barking for more treats.

“Cut! Perfect, Adrianna. Why don’t you take a quick break while I fiddle around with the settings?” Mark said, now tweaking buttons and knobs on his camera.

I sat down and leaned against the bright pink storefront we had been filming in front of. Although my bag of treats was hidden safely away in my pocket, the bichon was still wagging her tail hoping I would feed her more. It attracted the attention of more stray dogs, who came over and started sniffing me.

The dogs were of all sizes—some looked like big German shepherds and some looked like teeny, tiny Chihuahuas. Their wet noses and whiskers tickled me as they smelled me all over. I laughed, pushing some of them away, showing them my hands were empty. When they realized I didn’t have any more food, their attention turned elsewhere. I put my head down on my knees, letting the cool breeze dry some of the sweat on my neck. I admired a pretty little hummingbird hovering by a potted flowering plant. It looked like an Elfin bee hummingbird! They were the smallest hummingbirds in the world. But before I could get my phone out to snap a picture, the sound of voices speaking in English distracted me.

“This is a disaster! If we don’t find this monster soon, we’re in deep trouble,” said a deep, gruff voice in a thick Irish accent. A couple dressed in khaki were close enough that I could hear their conversation. The man had the beginning of a beard, sort of like my dad when he doesn’t shave for a whole week.

The stranger took off his sunglasses to read his phone, and I felt a jolt of recognition. The man in front of me was the same man from the WANTED poster we had seen at the crocodile center! My mouth fell open. Soriano had warned us that this man and his partner were particularly dangerous. I sat frozen, unsure what to do.

I sneaked a glance at the pale woman next to the man with the sunglasses. They sure didn’t look that dangerous. Or armed. They kind of just looked like tourists who were mad their vacation wasn’t going as planned. Slowly, I pulled out my cell phone. If I could angle this right, I might be able to snap a photo.

Suddenly, I felt a cold snout push my knee a few times, demanding attention. I looked down to meet warm brown eyes and a face that was a mixture of gold, black, and white. The dog almost looked like he was smiling, and his tail wagged back and forth. I thought he must be looking for food, but his small, black-and-gray body wasn’t as skinny as the other stray dogs.

“Hey, buddy. Are you lost?” I asked, looking for a collar. I held my hand out for him to sniff, which he did, and then he began licking my fingers. He must have been tasting the remnants of the bacon treat I had just given the other puppy!

I scratched behind his ear and smiled as his tail continued to wag. He let out a happy bark. “What a good boy you are!” I whispered, continuing to scratch. By the time I looked back up, the poachers had disappeared. Darn it! I had missed my chance.

“I see you’ve made a friend!” Mark laughed, looking up from his camera and giving me a wink.

“It seems so!” I grinned back. “Hey, Mark, I think I just saw—”

“We’re late!” Mark cried, glancing down at his watch. “Time for the next shot! Let’s get a move on, everyone.”

I stood up, sighing. I would have to tell them about the poachers later. I hoped that they weren’t as dangerous as Soriano had made them out to be …