Oh no! What’s that smell? Sniff-sniff-sniff... Uh-oh. It smells like… mystery! Captain Kibble trotted into the park with his nose to the ground, tail wagging so fast it could practically lift him off the ground. It was his favorite place in the whole world—trees to sniff, squirrels to chase, and so much grass to roll around in. But something wasn’t right today.

As Captain Kibble sniffed and zig-zagged through the park, he stopped and stared. Right in front of him—GASP!—muddy sneakers? EVERYWHERE! Big sneakers, small sneakers, sneakers with purple laces, and even one with… bunny ears? And they were all stuck in the mud! Captain Kibble tilted his head. Why would anyone leave all these sneakers here? Didn’t they know mud belongs UNDER paws, not ON sneakers?

Captain Kibble squatted low and muttered, “Time to unleash my super sniffer and crack this case!"

Sniff-sniff-sniff. He circled three times to think. Then sniff-sniffed some more. Mud splattered his paws as he followed a trail of footprints leading to the big hill by the slide. When he reached the top, he let out a loud, "WOOF!" and found the sneaker bandits—three kids playing tug-o-war... WITH a muddy old boot?! The kids tugged and pulled, laughing so hard their sides must’ve been tickling themselves.

Captain Kibble barked again, and this time they turned around. “Whoa, a talking dog?!” one kid said, dropping the boot in surprise. The boy next to him scratched his head. “Wait… is HE the guy from those Kibble comics my brother reads?” Captain Kibble puffed out his chest. “Of course I am! Captain Kibble, canine adventurer, at your service! Now tell me… what’s going on here with all these sneakers stuck all over the park?”

The kids looked at each other. “Uh-oh... BUSTED!” whispered the girl with pigtails. She bent down to pet Captain Kibble behind his floppy ears and said, “Well, I guess it’s kinda our fault. We were playing mud-ball… and it got a little out of control. We kept losing our boots and sneakers in the mud, so we just… got more. We didn’t mean to leave a mess.”

Captain Kibble gave them his most serious, no-nonsense look. “Leaving shoes in the mud isn’t just messy—it’s unsafe! What if someone trips and falls? Or what if a squirrel tries to wear one of those bunny-ear sneakers?!” The kids giggled at the thought of a squirrel wearing sneakers, but they nodded. “You’re right, Captain. We should’ve cleaned up after ourselves.”

“Exactly,” said Captain Kibble, wagging his tail a little now. “It’s important to take care of our favorite places. That way, everyone—including squirrels—can enjoy them! Now, let’s get this mud cleaned up. You’ve got four hands, and I’ve got four awesome paws!”

Together, they got to work. The kids pulled sneakers out of the mud while Captain Kibble organized them into neat piles—big sneakers here, bunny-eared sneakers there. And when the trash can was too far away, Captain Kibble swooped in with his Super Sneaker Grab, balancing the sneakers on his nose and trotting over to drop them off. The kids cheered every time he did it with a waggy-tailed flourish.

By the time the sun started to set, the park looked even better than before. The kids wiped their muddy hands on their jeans and gave Captain Kibble a big hug. “Thanks, Captain! You really saved the day.”

Captain Kibble barked proudly. “Anytime, team! Remember—cleaning up after yourself keeps the park fun for everyone. And now, I think my reward is waiting.” His ears perked up as he sniffed… sniff-sniff-sniff... “MILKBONES!” The kids laughed, and Captain Kibble zoomed off, leading the way to a perfect ending to the day.

Captain Kibble may love sniffing mysteries, but he loves making the park a better place even more. Clean parks, happy tails—that’s how Captain Kibble rolls!