Teddy Bear here: Woke up in LEGENDARY Spencerville. Trees as big as skyscrapers, met old friend Vincent there, hair as white as snow. Got to see him battle a rogue vacuum at Boxer Beach. Let’s just say Vincent’s still got a bark that’s worse than its bite. Miss our cuddles but I’m in good paws here. Will share more soon.
Love, Teddy Bear 🐾

Listen to the story here.

You’re never going to believe this, but when I woke up this morning, I found myself not in my modest and metropolitan flat, but in Spencerville. Yes, that Spencerville, the legendary place where our pets trot off to when they pass through that vast, invisible doggy door in the sky.

Immediately, I was dwarfed by mammoth trees, the Eastern White Westie Woods. Nature seemed amplified – greener and grander. I was reminded of my hunting trip in Maine, but that’s a story for another day.

Upon taking in the sights, I met a striking figure. It was Vincent, the white speckled Newfoundland. He was as imposing and dignified as I remembered. And around his fluffy neck was his beloved pickle toy. Oh, Vincent, always the stubborn one. He winked at me, a tacit greeting, and off we went on an adventure.

Our first stop was Chow Down Chow Chow. You must understand how ludicrous it was to see Vincent sliding into a booth like an ordinary Joe, ordering his favorite fish plate (allergies remember?) and mildly savaging it in a gentlemanly fashion.

Suddenly there was a commotion down the street, a loud noise that sent Vincent into investigative mode. His aversion to noise had always been a hurdle but this time was different. My brave Newfoundland was determined to protect his home. The quest had started.

Running into a display of Whistling Wishbones at the Pawsitively Purrfect Pet Store, Vincent gathered his pack – including Princess Victoria, that lovely St. Bernard – and they set off like a bunch of Avenger wannabes. They wound up at Boxer Beach, a little out of Vincent’s wheelhouse but hey, we all have to make sacrifices.

Our opponent? A rogue vacuum turned madness machine, set loose from The Pawfect Training Center. The noise was earth-shattering, the chaos, rampant. It was like me, stuck at LAX on Christmas Eve, and the only flight available was the redeye to Hell.

But this was Vincent’s town, his Spencerville. The sight of this hunkered down beast, ready to take on an opponent despite his apprehension filled me with pride. I turned to his sister, the fluffy sweetheart, Victoria. “Hold my pickle toy,” said Vincent, without missing a beat. And just like that, our very own Pet Avengers sprang into action.

You see, my friends, it’s here, in this town just a tail’s swish beyond reality, that the companions we’ve lost continue to live, to love and to protect. And, depending on the forecast, raise a little hell.

Oh Spencerville, you wonderful, weird slice of paradise. I may have woken up in this incredible place by chance, but I did get to witness my good old friend, Vincent, living his best fantastical life making a mess of things in the most heroic way. Now, that’s a story worth sharing.

The End.