Patty was in the forest still looking for Ross.
"Ross! Here boy!" she called.
Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit came running just then.
"Sis Patty! Dare ya is" said Brer Rabbit.
Jeremy hobbled up barefoot. "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Oh, my poor feet. I now understand the original purpose of shoes."
"What are you guys doing here? Is my dog not allowed in the woods either?" said Patty.
"We came ter help. We knows how much Ross means ter ya" said Brer Rabbit.
"Yes" Jeremy agreed. "Just because we don't want Ross living with us doesn't mean we want anything bad to happen to him."
"I jes' came ter watch Brer Jeremy walk throo de fo'st barefoot" Brer Fox laughed. "His feet's bleedin' again!"
Patty relaxed. "Thanks for coming to help."
Just then, the gang heard a pack of wolves howling.
"Uh-oh! Dat soun's like wolves" said Brer Rabbit.
"Day prob'ly smell de fresh blood frum Brer Jeremy's feet! Let's get outta heeah" said Brer Fox.
"I'm not leaving Ross out here! Especially if there are dangerous wild animals around" said Patty.
"If Patty's staying, then so am I. Because she's my luv. And hopefully, she's strong enough to carry me back to the mountain" said Jeremy.
They didn't have long to stay out there because Ross came running.
"Ross, you're safe!" Patty breathed. "Thank goodness we found you before those wolves did."
But then, Ross howled like a wolf.
"Did he jes' howl?" said Brer Rabbit.
"Sis Patty? Wut if Ross is a wolf?" said Brer Fox.
"That must be why he kept destroying Brer Fox's lair. Even after Patty tried to train him" said Jeremy.
"And why when we played fetch with a stick, he came back with a slightly punctured duck" said Patty.
"Best dinna I had in de longest time" said Brer Fox.
The wolf pack howled again.
"Oh. Ross... are those your peeps?" said Patty.
"Maybe he picked up dare sent las' night an' ran ter find 'em" said Brer Rabbit.
"Is that true? Did you miss your family?" said Patty to Ross.
"Wolves is wild animals, Sis Patty. Day needs ter be wit dare pack" said Brer Fox.
"I understand" Patty whispered.
Jeremy put his hand on his girl's shoulder. "Are you alright, darling?"
"Not really" said Patty. "But I guess since Ross and his family found each other... they should be together."
She hugged the dog goodbye. "Take care of yourself, bud. I'll miss you."
Then she removed Ross's collar and let him go.
"There there, Patty" Jeremy whispered.
"Don't worry about me, Jeremy. I'll be fine" said Patty near tears.
