Dog Man Unleashed

The splash page that introduces Chapter 5 is an establishing shot of the exterior of the Cat Jail. Inside the jail, an hour after the robbery, an officer is looking at a news article on a tablet. Sarah has written an account of the robbery and provided a photo of the robber. The officer believes he recognizes Petey, who is one of his prisoners. He hurries over to Petey’s cell and announces that he will put Petey in jail for the robbery. Petey points out that he is already in jail and that, since he has not “even escaped from jail yet, today” (65), he cannot be the robber. The officer is not swayed by this logic. 

Realizing that someone is impersonating him, Petey decides to escape and solve the crime himself. He creates a paper cut-out version of himself and places it on the floor of his cell. He tips a bulletin board on top of the paper representation and then calls out for help. The officer who rushes in believes that it is Petey trapped under the bulletin board, smashed flat by the impact. Petey, hiding behind a potted plant, is surprised by how upset the officer is by the supposed accident. The officer holds the limp paper cat in his arms, weeping, and the real Petey is moved to tears. When the officer dials 911 for help, Petey sneaks out of the jail.

An ambulance arrives. The EMTs rush inside the jail, roll the paper cat up like a carpet, and take him to their ambulance. The EMT in the passenger seat asks, “Which doctor should we take him to?” (73). The driving EMT is confused, thinking his colleague is suggesting that they take Petey to a “witch” doctor; he heads for the office of Boog E. Feeva, a “witch doctor.” 

Boog E. Feeva, a man dressed in a purple wizard’s robe and pointed hat, holds up a can of “Living Spray.” He warns that the spray can turn things evil, but the EMTs counter that Petey is already evil, so it does not matter. Feeva sprays the paper cat, which springs to life as “Flat Petey.” The EMTs say that they will take Flat Petey back to jail. One stands on Flat Petey’s tail to prevent his escape. Flat Petey asks whether they have heard of the game rock, paper, scissors. He tosses a rock to the EMT who is standing on his tail and then jerks his tail away. The rock flies up from the off-balance EMT’s hands. It hits the EMT in the head, bounces, and then hits the other EMT in the head. Both are knocked unconscious. Flat Petey crows that “[p]aper always beats rock” (79). Feeva tries to stop Flat Petey with a can of “Obey Spray,” but Petey, thinking fast, folds his head into a fan and reverses the cloud of spray back toward Feeva. Now, Feeva is under Flat Petey’s control.

Sarah calls the police station to report new information to Dog Man. The pet store robber did not steal money. He stole all the shop’s tiny treasure chests. A close-up of Dog Man shows him letting out a sharp “Bark!” as his hat flies off in surprise. Confused, Sarah replies that the treasure chests were made of plastic. 

Meanwhile, at his secret lab, Petey sees a news article Sarah has written about this on her blog. He decides that he will catch the impersonator by creating a giant treasure chest. Flip-O-Rama pages show Petey sawing wood, banging in nails, and welding. Following this is an illustration of a proud Petey standing next to the “Treasure Tank 2000” (94), a working tank shaped like a treasure chest. Petey decides that he will fill his creation up with treasure using his “Love Ray.” He grabs it and takes off in the tank. 

At the same time this is happening, the mysterious robber, a bag of loot over his shoulder, arrives at Kinney’s Real Estate. He spills the bag of loot onto Kinney’s desk, saying that he wants to buy “the biggest castle in the city” (96). Kinney looks at the collection of tiny plastic treasure chests and says they are worthless. He points at a television screen, which is showing an image of the Treasure Tank 2000. This, he explains, is what a real treasure chest looks like. 

The next panels show a closer view of the television. Sarah, holding a microphone, accuses Petey of forcing people to give him treasure. Petey protests that the people are voluntarily giving him treasure because they love him. He demonstrates how he uses his Love Ray to make people fall in love with him and then offer him treasures. Back inside Kinney’s Real Estate, the robber declares that he will steal Petey’s treasure chest. Kinney says that stealing is wrong, but the robber tells Kinney not to tell him what to do; he uses his telekinetic powers to send Kinney flying into the air and through the side of the building.

Dog Man stands atop a building, watching Petey run amok through the city streets, zapping people with his Love Ray and taking their treasures. Dog Man takes out the bone he keeps inside a shirt pocket, ties a rope to it, and tosses it around a pole on the roof of a nearby building. He swings from the rope, landing on top of the Treasure Tank 2000. Petey tries to zap him with the Love Ray, but Dog Man has already moved, intent on the red ball on top of the tank’s controller. Dog Man grabs the ball in his mouth and tries to get it loose; this shakes the tank back and forth, causing Petey to tumble off the tank and hit the ground. 

The adoring crowd of people Petey has used the Love Ray on begins mobbing him, asking if he is okay. Many people speak at once, proclaiming their love and asking Petey to marry them. They begin to chase him, trying to get him to kiss them. He is so terrified that he runs back to Cat Jail and demands to be put in a cell for his safety. The officer who found Flat Petey and called 911 earlier sees that Petey is back and alive. He is overwhelmed with relief and scoops Petey up, kissing him and singing to him. Petey begins to weep.