He is a dog with unusual hair who became a captive, an escapee, the hunted, and the hero all in one day. Named by his captor, Catcher One of the local dog-pound, Checkers was given a death sentence the moment his paws hit the pavement. Catcher One always boasted, "No dog could escape my dog-pound van and live to tell about it!!!" Checkers escaped. The chase led the escapee from a car crash, through spilled hotdogs on the sidewalk, flowers crushed by his paws, a topsy-turvy jump into a smelly, trash, dumpster to what Checkers thought was the safety of the International Raceway. The tired dog lay behind a refrigerator near the main concession stand. "With a deep gargle, a throat vibrated behind Checkers. Checkers opened his eyes. Two, black lips, and a mouth with a red tongue slobbered and quivered behind Checkers. His ears perked up. A growling , growling, sound allowed Checkers to know that someone or something else wanted his space between the concession stand and the refrigerator. Checkers stood up. With his paws grasping the asphalt pavement surrounding the concession stand, Checkers ran. The raceway dog, Big Boxer, growled and leaped at Checkers. The big, black, dog moved closer and closer. In an instant, Checkers no longer was the only dog in the story.