Bobbie the Wonder Dog: A True Story. Tricia Brown

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      the mixed-breed collie jumped upin one easy leap.This wouldbe

      his ridingplace.

      obbie was going onvacation!Just ashis favorite man finished securingthe luggage,

      “Let’s go!” Bobbieseemed tosay, wagging his stumpy tail.

      On thathot summer day in1923, he didn’t knowthathe was leaving on the trip of a lifetime. Bobbie couldn’t knowthatby nextyear,he—just a regular farmdog from Silverton, Oregon—would be famous.

      Today all he cared about wasa ride with his people.

      Bobbie’speople were Frank andElizabethBrazier and theirdaughters, Leona andNova. Twoyears earlier, Frank had decided their farm needed a farmdog.He went tothe neighbor’s to inspect a new litter.

      There, in the pile of six-week-old fluffballs,one yippedforFrank’s attention. Something aboutthe pup was different . . .

      “How ’bout that?He’sgot abobbedtail!” Frank said, picking upthe puppy. “I’ll take him.”

      And that’s how Bobbie gota name anda home.

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      n the farm, Bobbie was a spunky puppy and a natural

      “heeler,” nippingat the heels ofcows, cats, and even people,

      to makethem gowhere he wanted. But one time a stubborn horse

      kicked back at Bobbie. Even with a bad cut aboveone eye,little

      Bobbiepestered that horse intothe corral.

      Just monthslater, Bobbie had another closecall when hisleg was run over by a tractor.

      “That’ll leave anotherscar,”Franksaid,as he gently bandaged the wound.

      As soonas he could walk again,Bobbie eagerly went back to work.

      There wasno stopping Bobbie.

      When the Braziers decided to quit farming torun a restaurant in town, they didn’t know what to doaboutBobbie.

      “Aherding dog needs tobe on a farm,” Frank said.But inside he was thinking, How can I sell my best friend?

      “Wehave todo what’s best for Bobbie,” Elizabeth said. They decided it was best to leave him on thefarm with thenew owners, where he could run free andcontinue herding. Saddened, the family gave Bobbie extra pets, snacks, andbelly rubs.

      When they left Bobbie behind,he was sad, too.

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      ays later,Bobbie ambled into their restaurant, as if tosay,

      “Hey, didn’t you forget somebody?” He hadwalked for miles,

      yet he knew right where to go.