“Spooky lived with Officer Lester after she got shot,” Reg said. “She rescued her and got her walking again. It’s because of her, and her sister, that Spooky’s here with us now.”
“And it’s because of that guy that Spooky got shot,” Danny said, his face hard as a rock.
“What?” Caroline asked, following Danny’s finger.
“I read about it,” Danny said. “I’d remember his face anywhere.”
“Good memory,” said Reg. “You are a good witness.”
“Yes, you are,” Officer Torres said.
I stood up as Officer Torres approached. My tail helicoptered round and round. My front foot took tiny leaps off the ground in my best three-legged bucking bronco impression.
“You’re right, I am the guy who shot Spooky,” Officer Torres said as he knelt down in front of me.
Danny watched as I licked Officer Torres all over his face and sniffed his shirt for the bacon grease. (I found a bit on the cuffs.)
“Why isn’t Spooky scared of you?” Danny asked.
“Spooky is one brave and forgiving dog,” Officer Torres said. “She’s the reason I was able to get the help I needed and the reason I’m still a police officer today. Without her, something much worse might have happened in my life. But the day she showed up in court for me—and helped tell the story of what happened—changed my life. Seeing her go on and become a Helper Hound despite what I’d done to her made me a better man. She’s a hero.”
Danny looked at me and nodded.
“I have to tell a story today,” Danny said.
“Oh yeah?” Officer Torres said. “You’re a hero too?”
“Yeah,” Danny said. “I saw a man steal some bikes. He told me I better not tell anyone. But I did. I told my parents. They told the police. He got arrested. Now I have to see him today.”
“You get to be Spooky today,” Officer Torres said. “You get to help change someone’s life by telling the truth now.”
Officer Torres tapped Danny on the shoulder. Then he rubbed my belly. A voice came over the radio on Officer Torres’ shoulder. He spoke into it and turned to Officer Lester.
“We gotta run,” he said. “Duty calls.” Officer Lester nodded.
The bailiff said we had to run too, so we all said goodbye. Not before Officer Torres added, “Good luck, today, Danny. Tell the truth. Be a hero! Change a life!”
“We really have to go,” Ben said, pointing to the bailiff who stood tapping her foot.
“Ready?” Ben asked.
I stood up and looked up at Danny. I let my tongue droop out.
Danny stretched his hands up to the sky. He breathed in deep.
“One last breath, one last stretch,” Danny said.
When the bailiff cleared her throat, I leaned into Danny’s legs. My first Life Rule might be to push yourself to do big things, but sometimes we need someone to give us a little push.
Danny took a step forward, and we walked into the courtroom.
CHAPTER 8
The trial went quickly. Not only had Danny seen the guy take the bikes, so had many other people. So, person after person told their stories of how they saw the guy clipping bike locks and dropping them into the back of his shiny red pickup.
When it was Danny’s time to testify, I trotted into the “box” with him. Then Judge Mathers reminded people no photos were allowed. We both stretched and sniffed. Then Danny definitely pushed himself by telling what he remembered. Danny answered the questions like a pro. He told the truth. He really was a hero. But the most amazing thing was yet to come.
• • •
Two weeks after the trial, I sat next to Prof. Lester in the professor’s lounge.
She had a sandwich that smelled especially nice, so I rested my head on her leg to remind her that I also liked sandwiches. Prof. Lester didn’t share even one bite of it.
“This has onion on it, Spooky,” she said. “Not good for dogs.”
I tried to sneak a bit anyway as she told Reg her big news. Prof. Lester had just learned that the star she discovered, high up in the sky, was officially recognized. Guess what she named it? Spooky! There was going to be a big ceremony with lots of good treats, and I’d get to attend. So, she got a pass on not sharing the sandwich. For now, at least.
Reg’s phone vibrated on the table behind me. He picked it up and clicked.
“Oh, Spooky,” he said. “You’re gonna want to hear this.”
Then he read me the email from Danny.
Dear Spooky,
Mama Caroline is helping me write this letter. She says hi. So does my dad. Thanks again for helping me tell the story and be brave. It’s funny because I got nervous about a test last week, and I did your doga pose and sniffed really deep and felt much better.
Here’s the other funny thing: Remember how I was so scared to tell the story and so scared of the guy being in court?
Well, I just got a letter from him. He said he was sorry and that he was really thankful that I told my parents about what he was doing. He was really angry at me, he said, all the way up to the trial. But hearing me—this kid, he said—tell the truth about what happened changed something in him. I guess he cried and cried afterward. He felt so bad. He realized that if I didn’t tell the truth, he would’ve kept on doing worse and worse things. He doesn’t like being in jail, but he’s glad to be getting some help now.
Isn’t that weird? I guess Officer Torres was right. Telling the truth can be scary, but it can help people. Like you helped Officer Torres and like you helped me.
Gotta run. I’ve got baseball practice. Can’t wait to see you and meet your pals Sparky, Penny, Robot, Noodle, and King Tut at the Helper Hounds picnic next week!
Love,
Danny
“You did good, Spooky!” Prof. Lester said. “We’re all proud of you.”
“Me too,” Reg said as he reached over to scratch my head.
Then he looked at the clock. “Ack, running late again. We gotta go get your gear on.”
I would’ve rather stayed and begged for an onion-less bite of sandwich or maybe a baby carrot, but duty called. So, I stretched and sniffed and off we went.
Spooky’s
Life Rules
#1: Push Yourself.
Life gets hard. It’s easy to give up. Sometimes we just need a tiny, little nudge and doors open or situations change. Don’t be afraid to try.
#2: Stretch Yourself.
One, stretching is relaxing. But two, stretching literally stretches our muscles. How are you going to reach those muffins on the kitchen counter if you don’t stretch a bit? It’s the same for anything else in life. Something may seem too high up or too far away for you, but a good stretch will get you there.
#3: Stop to Sniff the Air.
Breathing in and out does a few things: it gives us the oxygen we need, it slows our heartbeats, and it helps us relax. This is all super good for our health! Plus, the world is full of interesting, mysterious smells, so our curiosity stirs up as our worries go down.
#4: Share Your Chill.
When you feel good or happy or relaxed, share that spirit with others by offering a smile or licking the bacon grease off their sleeves!
Officer Torres’
Life Rules
Change Someone’s Life — and let your life be changed. There are lots of ways we can change someone’s life for the better: We can tell the truth, we can be kind, we can be forgiving, and we can be helpful to someone. These are all good things! But we should also allow other people to change our lives for the better. Sometimes this means admitting we’re wrong or saying we’re sorry. It’s hard, but it makes for the best life!
FUN FACTS
About American Staffordshire terriers
In this story, Spooky is mistaken for a pit bull. Ma
ny people think that Staffordshire Terriers and pit bulls are the same. But that is not true at all!
American Staffordshire terriers have been around for a long time. They became an official breed when registered with the American Kennel Club in 1936. This dog was created by mixing a few different breeds. The most important were the bulldog, the fox terrier, and the much larger mastiff. Over time, and with lots of breeding, these dogs combined to create the Staffordshire terrier, which is often called by its nickname, the “Staffie.”
In the past, Staffordshire terriers were used in cruel sports like dog fighting and bear baiting. Yes, these dogs were actually made to attack and fight bears and sometimes bulls! Because of this background, many people think Staffies are aggressive and dangerous. But that could not be further from the truth.
In fact, just like Spooky in the story, most Staffies are affectionate and sweet. They are also very strong. With an average height of 18 inches and a weight between 50 and 80 pounds, these dogs are pure muscle. Because they are strong and smart, in the past, these dogs were trained to help hunters, and also to work on farms, and as guard dogs.
Here’s a fun fact: These dogs have a British cousin! In England the breed is also called Staffordshire terrier. These dogs are smaller than their American cousins, but were also used as fighting dogs and working dogs in the past.
Today, a Staffie’s best job is as a family pet. These smart, sweet, loyal dogs make great companions and protectors. Some are also trained to work as therapy dogs, just like Spooky. American Staffordshire terriers can truly be a boy’s or girl’s best friend.
Spooky Helps Danny Tell the Truth Page 3