Pet Worth. Part Two.

“Oh very funny Steven!” Mum called out, looking past the dog. “That’s a really hilarious joke that is, dressing your dog up, and getting it to answer the door!”
But I remembered the town, and how there didn’t seem to be that many people, but there were loads of dogs and cats all over the place.
“You’re very naughty you are,” the dog said. Or at least, it seemed that the dog was talking, it‘s mouth wasn‘t actually moving. Growly talk, a bit like Scooby Doo. I stared at the dog in astonishment. Now I knew I must be half asleep. Maybe I had actually fallen asleep, and I was dreaming.
But Mum wasn’t fooled. “Very funny Steven!” She repeated. “Come out, wherever you are. I’ve come to drop off your kids! Quit the comic act!”
She pushed past the dog, Jack and I following.
“Where are you Steven?” Mum called out. “Are you here as well Linney? Are you in on this little joke? Are you trying to make a fool of me in front of the kids?!”
“Do your owners know you’re out?” I looked at the dog, which is where the voice seemed to be coming from. But of course, that was silly. I was definitely dreaming. “Do they know you’re out without you leash?”
Mum was looking angry now. “Don’t patronize me Steven,” she warned. “I can easily take the kids back home with me.” She opened the door to a room and went inside. I followed. We were inside a living room. Blue wallpaper on the walls covered in pictures of bones, like what you find in Looney Tunes cartoons, along with framed photos. Mum was staring at them in astonishment. The photos all seemed to be of dogs. Two grownup dogs and two puppies. All wearing clothes and looking at the camera. They looked like stills from an Andrex advert.
The TV in the room was on, showing the old Disney cartoon “101 Dalmatians.” Two puppies were lying on the floor, actually watching the cartoon. They were wearing clothes as well. One was wearing a pink dress, the other a t-shirt and shorts. Mum and I were flabbergasted.
At that moment, the dog who had answered the door to us came into the room, followed by another dog, wearing a short t-shirt and skinny jeans.
“I don’t know who they are darling,” the dog was telling his wife. “The female one just barged in here. She seems to think there’s a male one in this house somewhere called Steven.”
The female dog looked at the puppies on the floor. “Kids, can you go to your rooms please?” She asked.
“But Mum, we’re watching 101 Dalmatians,” the male puppy whined.
“Please Lucky, your father and I have to have grown up talk. You can carry on watching your film afterwards.”
The puppies left the room, their mother shutting the door behind them.
“Do they have collars and leashes on them, Pongo?” She asked.
“Not that I could see,” he replied.
“They may be strays,” she said. “If they don’t have leashes, we may have to take them down the pound, they can sort them out, and if they’re not chipped, they may be given the lethal injection.”
“Now wait just a minute,” Mum piped in. “Is this a wind up? Is this you, Steve and Linney, dressed up? This isn’t funny!”
“Be quiet,” the dog called Pongo said. “Dogs are talking.”
But Mum had had enough. Going over to the dog called Pongo, she grabbed hold of his head and pulled. Pongo’s wife saved him by pulling Mum off.
“Not only are they strays, but they’re dangerous as well,” she said angrily. “I’m definitely calling the human pound now, and I’ll specifically ask for these three humans to have the lethal injection.”