MY DOG, MOSS

Bellringer offers a novella about a mysterious but friendly farm dog.

Jayden King is a 30-year-old sheep farmer who’s lived on his own ever since his parents died 12 years ago. His home isn’t much more than a one-bedroom shack, but he makes do. One day, a dog appears on his property with its paw stuck on a barbed-wire fence; the canine seems to be some kind of shepherd mix. The dog, whom he names Moss, soon helps him locate a stuck ewe. Clearly, the animal knows its way around sheep, so Jayden checks with other locals to see if anyone knows the dog’s owner. As no one comes forward, it appears that Jayden and Moss are destined to be an excellent team. Jayden gets a new neighbor, an attorney and sheep farmer named Joseph Carter, who dislikes Moss and suspects that the dog is killing his sheep. Jayden, however, believes that a lone wolf is targeting the livestock. Hopefully, Jayden and Moss can get the wolf situation sorted out before the neighbor does something rash. When Moss later winds up in dangerous situation, it seems like it may very well be the end for the helpful pooch. Although Bellringer’s brief story moves quickly, it manages to sketch out a memorable relationship between Jayden and his “ever-faithful” dog in a manner that gives the tale some heart. For example, the author also ably shows how Moss is a complete professional with the sheep, but still has a playful side; the protagonist reflects on how his otherwise serious companion would “carry around his food bowl so that it stuck up over his face and he couldn’t see where he was going.” The main plot, though, is both straightforward and predictable; even readers who are unfamiliar with the ways of wolves will find it hard to entertain the notion that Moss could be the sheep-slaying culprit. The only truly pressing question is what will come of a potentially violent confrontation toward the end.

A lightweight but touching tale of a helpful animal companion and his grateful owner.