Trafford Publishing: Dylan's Endeavour

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Dylan's Endeavour

by John Roe; co-published with Nevada House Publishing

116 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0571; ISBN 1-55369-758-8; US$15.00, C$17.25, EUR12.50, £9.00

A shy, young dog left with a dog-sitter in downtown Toronto while his owners are in South Africa, takes off and tries to find his way home. Resisting all attempts at capture, he undertakes an odyssey that lasts 5 1/2 weeks until his owner finds him miles away in a dramatic Disney-like ending.

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about the book about the author sample excerpts or Table of Contents catalogue info

About the Book

On Sunday December 3, 1995 readers of Canada's largest newspaper The Toronto Daily Star opened it to page 3 to find a large colour picture of a happy couple and their dog with the headline: "Dog beats odds in 36-day odyssey". Actually, the length of time he was missing was 39 days - more than 5 1/2 weeks. This is the story of how Dylan, a shy young Welsh Springer Spaniel, who had been boarded in Toronto while his owners were in South Africa, eluded capture and worked his way westwards to Oakville... until he was re-united with the author in a dramatic ending worthy of a Disney movie. It's a tale that has been recounted many times but now for the first time appears in print, complete with illustrations by the author's son, Peter, a classical animator at Nelvana. Dylan's Endeavour will resonate with any animal owner who has lost a beloved pet.

About the Author

John Roe began his working career as a journalist in England before emigrating to Canada in 1966. After obtaining his BA and MSW degrees, he worked in social services for 25 years before returning to his first love - writing. John, who lives with his wife Karen and their faithful companion Dylan, is currently working on a novel, also based on a true story.

Sample Excerpts or Table of Contents

Prologue

The two animals stared intently at each other. Dylan felt the hackles on his neck rise. In the weeks that he had been at large, he had never experienced such instant fear. There was something about the other dog - if that's what he was - that instantly identified him as an adversary. The other creature never flinched. Instead, eyes fixed on the apprehensive canine, he slowly began to come closer.

The pale winter sunlight had already begun to fade. The darkening shadows added to the menace of the moment. Even the sounds of distant traffic on the nearby multi-lane highway seemed to have been stilled. The only noise was the faintest crackle of dry leaves being trampled as the small German Shepherd/wolf-like dog continued to draw near.

All Dylan's senses were now on high alert. He had shed the numbing tiredness that had become so much a part of his days on the run. Now the Welsh Springer Spaniel could feel his body quivering with a tenseness alien to his timid nature. His once gleaming red and creamy white coat had become shaggy and unkempt through lack of daily grooming and the silky hair on his ears and long leg feathers was matted with burrs. To the casual observer chancing on this scene, it would have seemed that this was a confrontation between two wild dogs rather than a wild dog and a family pet.

For something had changed. The chemistry of fear, the smell of which predatory animals can always detect, had been replaced by a mounting fury of will that would have astonished those who knew him. Though not exactly a wimp, Dylan had always been shy and withdrawn, particularly when first meeting people and strange dogs. The other animal must have sensed the change for it hesitated and began to emit a curious, high pitched yipping sound. It was at that instant that Dylan knew that he was not dealing with another dog. Indeed, the other animal was a coyote, what North American Indians call one of "the ghosts of the forest."

Combining the sleekness of a cat, the quick intelligence of a fox, and the brute wilderness of a wolf, the coyote is considered by naturalists to be the most numerous and successful large predator on the North American continent. Omnivorous, eating whatever is available, it will not infrequently prey on domestic animals such as cats and small dogs. Whereas wild cats and other carnivores depend on a combination of claws and teeth for killing their prey, a coyote relies on sharp enamel-capped teeth alone to immobilize and kill its quarry. Death occurs when its victim is grasped by the throat and suffocated. A coyote kill can always be identified by tooth punctures around the throat.

Dylan, naturally, knew nothing of this, but all his instincts told him he was in mortal danger.

*** *** ***

CHAPTER 1

A dreadful shock

The direct flight from Capetown to Miami had been uneventful. As usual, Karen had managed to sleep most of the way. Now totally refreshed, she strode purposefully ahead of her husband as they switched terminals in preparation for the last leg of their long journey home to Mississauga near Toronto. They knew they had plenty of time to spare between flights so Karen, always the planner, had decided to call her daughter Lianne from the airport once they made their connections. As far as John was concerned, news of what had been happening on the home front could wait until they actually touched down in Toronto. Then would be the time to catch up on events and, more importantly, reassemble their household. Home would not be complete until they had collected Dylan and Fiona.

Dylan was their much-loved Welsh Springer Spaniel, the veritable apple of their eye, from the very first moment he had moved in with them two years previously. Their feelings for Fiona were less generous. Over the years this former barnyard cat had proven to be a real pest whenever they went away. Family and friends refused to look after her when she developed the bad habit of leaving anal and urinary "trophies". In recent years it had therefore become John and Karen's practice to put her into kennels. But, despite her nature, she too was family so they felt things would not be normal until they were reunited with both animals

When they had left on their month-long vacation to South Africa, Lianne, already the mother of a eighteen-month-old, was seven months pregnant. Lianne had always been one to keep fit and there had been no complications with Lexi. Mothers being mothers, however, they worry, and Karen was no exception. She was also curious to know what was happening on their housing front. Just before John and Karen went away, Lianne's husband Paul had accepted a new high tech position in Ottawa so this meant putting their house in Toronto up for sale and for Lianne, an elementary school teacher, it also meant winding up her job. It was little wonder, therefore, that at the last minute Lianne had balked at having Dylan stay with them as in the past. Instead, a quick change of plans resulted in Dylan being left with Delia, one of Karen's sisters, who also lived in Toronto, close to its downtown core.

Karen had decided that she would wait until 7:30 a.m. to call Lianne. As the appointed time arrived, John took charge of their hand luggage having been enjoined, as always, "Don't let anything out of your sight." It did not stop him, however, keeping a close eye on her as she engaged in conversation. Although too far away to hear anything, it quickly became clear that she was becoming increasingly distressed. John's mind started to race. He began to worry that perhaps something had gone wrong with Lianne's pregnancy. Finally Karen hung up the receiver and made her way back to him, her whole being a picture of misery.

"What's up?" John asked, already dreading her response. "It's Dylan", she replied in a hollow voice. "He's been missing for three weeks." relieved that nothing was the matter with Lianne or other family members, John heard the words but their full import didn't sink in. Then he stammered: "Dylan? Missing? Three weeks? What happened?"

The story was starkly simple. It appeared that Dylan had been left with a dog sitter while Delia had gone away for the weekend taking her own two dogs with her. The dog sitter had taken Dylan to a nearby park where Delia regularly exercised her dogs. Once at the park, without really giving it a second thought, the sitter had unleashed him, at which point Dylan had taken off. That, apart from an initial flood of reported sightings, was the last anyone had seen of him despite an extensive search, posted notices and regular contacts with all the Humane Societies in the Greater Toronto area.

Dylan missing... for three weeks... and in, of all places Toronto, a metropolitan expanse with upwards of four million people stretching some thirty miles around the south western shore of Lake Ontario. John could hardly take it in. He stood there, his face as crumpled as he felt, a mixture of shock and anguish. A multitiude of thoughts immediately flooded his mind. Dylan was an extremely shy dog by nature. Although they lived in a large city, the west-end of Mississauga with its single family dwellings and tree-lined streets was a far cry from the big city bustle of Canada's largest metropolis. How could Dylan possibly survive? It would be bad enough for a family pet to go missing in its neighbourhood, but Toronto? Day and night its downtown streets stream with cars, trucks, and electric streetcars. During the day cyclists add to the confusion as they weave their way in and out of the traffic as it moves constantly through the busy downtown. To those used to its dissonant sights, sounds and smells, there is a comfortable familiarity. It is the very essence of all that comprises a big city. For those not used to big city life, particularly a timid dog, it would surely be a stressful, scary experience. Poor Dylan! How could he possibly be expected to cope on his own in that kind of environment.

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