By the time Gabby pulled into the Angel Paws parking lot, the sun was low on the horizon, casting a golden glow across the shelter’s gravel lot. In the backseat, Juniper was wide awake now. The sedative had worn off, and in its place was pure, frantic joy—he licked her cheek, her arm, her hands, whining with emotion.
Gabby opened the car door and Juniper leapt out, legs shaky but determined. His nose immediately hit the ground, sniffing madly, zigzagging through the grass until he froze—he’d caught a familiar scent. He let out a desperate bark, then another, then sprinted toward the playpen, every muscle pulled taut with urgency.