Oh no, no, no… where is Benny the mailman?! Captain Kibble’s floppy ears twitched as he peeked out the window. Benny was ALWAYS here at this time, delivering mail with that cheery whistle and his bright blue bag. But today? No whistle. No bag. No Benny. Something was definitely wrong.

Kibble paced back and forth by the door. Well, technically, he circled in that classic dog style—three perfect spins before plopping his tail down. “This doesn’t feel right,” he muttered. He barked once, then twice. “Bark team, assemble!” he called out.

Within minutes, his best barking buddies, Scout the excitable beagle, and Daisy the fluffy golden retriever, bounded into the yard. Scout was wagging his tail so fast it looked like a helicopter blade. “Did someone say mystery?! I LOVE mysteries!”

Daisy tilted her head. “What’s going on, Kibble? Did the humans forget to fill your kibble bowl again?”

“No! It's Benny!” Kibble said. “He’s missing!” He pointed his nose toward the empty street. “We HAVE to find him. Benny is the nicest human around! Remember the time he brought me an extra treat when it was rainy? Or when he let us sniff his mailbag before leaving? Benny is our friend!”

Scout leapt into the air. “We need a plan! Ooh, can I sniff first? I have the BEST nose for smells. Last week, I found a sock from two yards away. TWO YARDS!”

Kibble nodded. “Scout, you sniff the path where Benny always walks. If Benny dropped anything—like a snack or a mail clue—you’ll find it. Daisy? You check the park. Benny always sits by the duck pond on his lunch break. And I’ll head toward the bakery.”

“The BAKERY?!” Scout howled. “That’s not fair! They’ve got muffins there!”

“It’s also Benny’s favorite spot,” Kibble said. “Meet back here in one hour. Ready? Go!”

The Bark Team sprang into action. Scout’s nose was glued to the ground, zigzagging down the sidewalk. Daisy bounded toward the park, her golden fur shining in the sun. And Kibble trotted toward the bakery, sniffing and looking for signs of their missing friend. He stopped halfway to chase a squirrel—but JUST for a second.

Near the bakery, Kibble stopped. His sharp doggy eyes spotted something on the ground—Benny’s whistle! It was covered in a bit of frosting. “Aha! Clue #1!” Kibble said. He picked it up carefully in his mouth and dashed back home.

Scout and Daisy were already there, tails wagging furiously. “I found THIS!” Scout barked, dropping a crumpled paper bag at Kibble’s paws. “It smells like donuts. Benny loves donuts!”

“And I saw his hat at the duck pond!” Daisy added. “I picked it up and brought it back.”

Kibble wagged his tail. “Great work, team. Now let’s think... whistle near the bakery… hat at the park… donut bag... Wait a minute! What if—”

Just then, a familiar voice called out. “Hey, pups!” It was Benny, walking up the street with his mailbag swinging. “What are you all doing here?!”

Daisy barked happily. “You’re safe!”

Scout ran around in excited circles. “Where were you?! We’ve been on the biggest adventure!”

Benny chuckled. “Adventure, huh? Well, I was helping out a friend. My bike broke, so Mrs. Jenkins at the bakery fixed it up for me. She even gave me a donut while I waited!” He held up the donut bag. “I must’ve dropped it while riding.”

Kibble placed the whistle at Benny’s feet. “We thought you were in trouble,” he said. “You always help people, so we wanted to help YOU.”

Benny knelt down and scratched Kibble behind his ears. “You pups are something else,” he said. “Thanks for looking out for me. You’re right… helping each other does make the day a whole lot better.”

Kibble barked proudly. “Well, that’s what friends are for!”

“Speaking of help,” Scout piped up. “Can someone help me find a donut? Asking for a friend…”

Everyone laughed. And just like that, another tail-wagging adventure was complete.

Captain Kibble stretched his paws, gave a happy yawn, and curled up for a well-earned nap—after circling three times, of course. Good work, team. Good work.