The Animal Patrol Helps Charlie

Colleen Robinson

© Copyright 1999 by Colleen Robinson

This story was written as an assignment for one of my college classes. I created this story using my imagination and pictures of family pets.

Charlie was a cute two-year old cat who always got into trouble.He got into garbage cans in a bedroom and he also got into the kitchen cupboard and hid among the bags. His owners thought he was being nosy, but he just thought he was being curious.

One morning, he meowed and his owners let him outside.  He met his friend Puffer and they played for hours.  Charlie came back home and fell asleep on his owner's bed curled up in a ball.

One day two weeks later, he played with Puffer, when Puffer saw Charlie's car go by with his family in it!

"Charlie, I just saw your car go by!" he said.

Charlie stopped playing, his paws all snowy.

"What did you say?"

"Your family, they drove by!" Puffer told him.

Charlie ran home and saw his home was F-O-R S-A-L-E! Whatever that spelled.  But to Charlie it meant that his famiy was gone!

"What now?" he asked Puffer, who had joined him. Puffer yawned. "Stay with me for now, we'll help you" he said. "We?" "The Animal Patrol" he replied. "What's that?" "We help animals find lost families" Puffer said. Charlie smiled.

At Puff's house, his owner was sitting outside waiting for her cat to come home. "Oh Puffer! You brought home another" she said hugging her cat.

Puffer and Charlie went up to Puffer's `room' where they fell asleep on the bed. After everyone left for school or work, Puffer contacted the Animal Patrol and send messages about Charlie.

"Meow me-ow" he said. (meaning Charlie-cat is lost) "Woof woffy" came a reply from a dog named Timber (Meaning where is he from?) "Meow mew mew" Charlie said (meaning Silver City)

A cat named Bart farther away heard where Charlie was from and reported that there was a family from Silver City near where she lived.

Charlie said good bye to Puff and with the special `meow' code with him, (in case he needed to talk to Puff) he was on his way to meet Bart. Bart was a beautiful female cat who gave Charlie a smile as she let him in the secret `kitty' door.

"Don't worry, we'll find your family" she told him. Bart went up to her owner Steven. Steven was twenty-three months old, a cute toddler who loved his cat. But as soon as he saw Charlie, he went to him and pulled at his fur.

Steven's other cat Sparky, who was sunning himself on a chair got off and went to Bart and Charlie. "Bart, who is this?" "Charlie, his family is lost and we're helping him through the Animal Patrol" Bart said. Sparky nodded and went back to sunning himself.   

A bark was heard once more and with a swish of her massive tail, Bart jumped to the window.

"What's he saying?" Charlie asked. "There's a family near by that lost a cat, Chico the dog will show you, he lives two farms down the road."

Bart said good-bye to Charlie and Charlie headed off following Chico's barks. Soon he was getting hungry. Bart had said that Chico was a farm dog and therefore sometimes got food scraps.

"Hi there, you must be Charlie" said a dog. "Yes, you must be Chico" he replied. "What's your ownner's name?" Chico asked. "Jessica" meowed Charlie. The beautiful dog looked sad. "I'm sorry Charlie, that's not the name of this owner" he said

Chico and Charlie were quiet, then Charlie heard some loud movemnt in the Barn.

"Who are you" the voice asked as he came out of the barn with a mouse in his mouth. "Charlie, who are you" "I'm B.J. the farm cat" "His family is lost, that's why he's here, we're helping him find his owners." explained Chico. "That's right, The Animal Patrol is on guard tonight" remembered B.J.

The three animals were quiet, they had heard movement from outside. "I'll check it out" Chico said.

When he came back, he was with another dog. "This is Sheafer, he has a farm down the road and he'll help you continue your search" Chico said.

Charlie said good-bye and thank you to Chico and B.J. and left with Sheafer. "Are you hungry Charlie" Sheafer asked. "A little" he said. "When we get inside, we'll get something from my owners."

Sheafer's ownerss Alex and Erik were playing with Legos when Sheafer and Charlie came in. "Who is this" asked Alex out loud. "Woof" answered Sheafer which meant `Charlie, he's lost can he stay for the night?'

As if the child could understand, he let the cat stay the night. Charlie was missing his family terribly, he knew he had to leave so he could find his owners right away. He knew he was close.

He meowed good-bye to his new friend and left through the doggie door.

Charlie walked through the snow and came to a house, it looked warm and cozy.  Through the window, he could see three cats sitting on the couch, he sighed and continued down the street.

The three cats, who saw Charlie walking along the street knew a 'lost' cat when they saw one.  After all, like the others, Charlie has encountered the three cats were also part of the Animal Patrol.

"Meow!" one said. Charlie turned to see three cats sitting in the window of a house. "What's your name?" asked the rust coloured one. "Charlie" "Are you new here?" asked the white one. "Yes I am" said Charlie. "My name is Rusty" he said. "This is Dinah and Sugar" "I'm looking for my lost family" he explained. "We know. We're part of the Animal Patrol. Sheafer found you had left and told us you were headed this way." Sugar said.

Dinah looked down the street. "Do you hear crying?" she asked. "Yes" "What is it? do you know where my family is?"

They were interrupted by the three cats' owner 4 year old Victoria. "Rusty, Dinah, Sugar! who are you talking to?"

When the cats didn't reply, the child went over to the window and saw Charlie. "Are you lost kitty?" she asked. "He's looking for his owner" Sugar told her. "Is her name Jessica?" asked Victoria. "Yes it is!" he meowed. "She lives right next door Charlie" she said.

Charlie thanked them and went next door, he was tired after his long walk, but he had one more bit of jump left in him. He jumped high and pressed his paw against the doorbell and then fell backwards into the snow with a splat.

He got up and shook himself of the snow, now he looked very wet! The door opened and Charlie saw his owner and he jumped into her arms and licked her face.

"My Charlie! He found us! He found us!" she squealed. That night, the family had orderd a treat of fish as a treat, so Charlie got to share some too.  He yawned and curled up on Jessica's bed and fell asleep

But not before giving word to his friends on the Animal Patrol that he had found his family. He thought of all the animals that had helped him: Puffer, Bart, Sparky, Timber, B.J. Chico, Sheafer, Rusty, Dinah, Sugar.

The members of the Animal Patrol had helped yet another pet find a lost family.  Their job was once again done. "Thank you Animal Patrol" Charlie said before falling asleep at his owners face.

Charlie was now part of the Animal Patrol.  Each time the Animal Patrol finds a `lost' family, the pet becomes part of the Animal Patrol.