One hectic morning, I spotted four shivering boxer puppies by the roadside near County Road 12. Despite being late for a meeting, I couldn’t ignore them. I took them home, bathed them, and planned to check for microchips and post in a local lost pets group. That’s when I found a yellow collar on one pup with a chilling message: “Not Yours.” A vet tech friend, Tate, warned me the puppies might be linked to something darker, possibly dogfighting rings. We scanned them, and only the pup with the yellow collar had a microchip—registered years ago to a clinic far away. Four days later, two men showed up at my house, searching for the puppies. I hid them in the bathroom, texting my neighbor to call the sheriff if anything seemed off. After a tense exchange outside, the men left, but Tate’s warning echoed in my mind.