Animal Detective

Chapter 269 - 236: Atavistic Wolf Green (2)

Considering what they might have been through, Shen Xin spent time with them even more patiently, getting some snacks to build a connection.

His gift was useful after all.

Slowly but surely, the cats and dogs gathered around Shen Xin.

Chen Fang said with some surprise, "Jiahui, is this Officer Shen a new handler from your base? Look, all these cats and dogs really seem to like him."

She knew that some of these cats and dogs had been abused and were very wary of humans.

It was no easy feat for them to let down their guard so quickly and swarm around Shen Xin.

Li Jiahui didn’t answer, simply staring intently at Shen Xin.

’I wish he really was from the K-9 unit,’ she thought. ’Then I’d have the home-field advantage. How could feelings not blossom over time?’

Icons gradually began to appear above the heads of some of the cats and dogs.

Shen Xin noted each one, then observed their temperaments, ability to understand commands, and obedience.

But to be honest, none of them were particularly good.

The yard was divided into two free-roaming areas, and this one alone had fifty or sixty dogs.

But after looking them all over, only one Labrador seemed even remotely suitable.

However, the Labrador had a lame leg, so it was out of the question.

Shen Xin stood up, about to head to the other free-roaming area, when suddenly all the dogs before him reacted in unison, becoming alert and defensive.

It was like a cat that had bristled, sensing danger.

The next moment, Shen Xin heard a low barking.

It sounded... like it was coming from outside the yard.

A dog seemed to be barking outside the yard. The sound wasn’t loud, but it carried a strange, intimidating force.

Shen Xin saw it clearly: several male dogs immediately dropped to the ground, showing signs of fear.

Dogs are pack animals, naturally inclined to submit to the strong. When faced with an alpha, they become too afraid to even think of fighting back.

The crucial part was that out of the dozens of dogs present, a quarter of them were showing signs of fear.

The rest were all restless and agitated.

"Damned dog!"

Just then, Chen Fang, who was outside the enclosure, shrieked. She dashed into a room and came charging back out with a shovel.

Then she opened the gate and stormed out of the yard.

Shen Xin and Li Jiahui exchanged a glance and hurried after her.

Outside the yard, Chen Fang was brandishing the shovel and cursing at something in the distance.

In a patch of weeds dozens of meters away, a dog flashed by, disappearing before they could get a good look at it.

Li Jiahui quickly asked what was wrong.

Still cursing under her breath, Chen Fang said dejectedly, "Don’t get me started. There’s this stray German shepherd. I tried to rescue it before, but it ended up killing another one of the dogs."

"I drove it away, but it refused to leave. It just roams this area and frequently comes by to bark outside the yard."

"It killed that other dog right in front of everyone. Now all the dogs in the yard are terrified of it. The moment they hear it bark, they scatter in a panic. I’m so fed up."

"I’ve tried to catch it many times but have never been able to."

Fuming, Chen Fang shouted a few more curses in the direction the dog had vanished.

Shen Xin shook his head. ’This dog really holds a grudge.’

’But on the other hand, a dog that can hold such a grudge must be pretty intelligent.’

’Unfortunately, it has a history of attacking other dogs. It’s too aggressive.’

Li Jiahui offered a few words of consolation, and Chen Fang finally headed back.

Shen Xin cast one last glance in the direction the German shepherd had vanished before following them back into the yard.

The dogs in the remaining free-roaming area were much the same.

They were far too wary of humans—either timid or hyperactive.

It wasn’t the normal hyperactivity of a playful personality, but rather the agitated state of a traumatized animal, almost like PTSD.

These dogs all had behavioral issues, which meant they definitely couldn’t be selected for K-9 training.

In the end, after looking high and low, he reluctantly settled on a single mutt as being somewhat suitable.

’Over a hundred dogs, and I’ve found fewer candidates here than at a regular public shelter.’

Just then, barking erupted from outside the yard again.

The dogs around them immediately grew agitated.

Chen Fang stomped her foot in frustration, grabbed her shovel, and charged outside again.

Li Jiahui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "I’ve really never seen a dog hold such a grudge."

Dogs and cats are, by and large, afraid of people.

It was truly rare to see one that would repeatedly come back to cause trouble, unafraid of Chen Fang chasing it off.

The barking faded into the distance as Chen Fang returned, shovel in hand, still muttering curses.

Seeing her predicament, Shen Xin offered, "Sister Fang, why don’t I take a look around and see if I can find that dog?"

Chen Fang said, "It’s no use even if you find it. You don’t know how cunning that dog is. Once, my husband suggested we set out a cage to try and trap it."

"We set out several cages, but it wouldn’t take the bait. The last time volunteers were here, we even organized a group to try and catch it, but we still couldn’t."

"It’s alright," Shen Xin said. "I’ll go take a look."

’Other people are other people. I’m different.’

With that, Shen Xin tucked a few bags of snacks into his pockets and headed out.

Chen Fang started to follow, but Li Jiahui held her back. "Sister Fang, let Shen Xin give it a try. He might actually be able to do it."

’With Shen Xin’s abilities,’ she thought, ’handling one dog should be a piece of cake.’

Shen Xin went out and turned right.

The barking had come from that direction.

The surrounding area was a mix of trees, tall grass, and farmland.

’The dog can’t have gone far. It must be hiding somewhere nearby.’

It was only early March, so the grass wasn’t fully grown. Shen Xin hopped onto a pile of rubble and scanned the surroundings.

And sure enough, he spotted it.

About fifty meters away, on a small path beside a vegetable patch, stood a German shepherd.

It was exceptionally alert.

From fifty meters away, the moment Shen Xin spotted it, it spotted him too. It turned its head to watch him from afar.

Seeing the dog, Shen Xin’s first thought was how handsome it was.

It had pointed ears, a broad, thick-set body, and powerful limbs. Yet it didn’t look clumsy—rather, it appeared well-proportioned, exuding an aura of explosive power.