10/14/2026
Meet Chance. He was created by a seventh grade English Language Arts class at Hastings Middle School in Upper Arlington. Throughout the year, they read texts and do different genre writings. Their teacher said having the opportunity to write their own story to go along with the dog art made the class excited! Their creativity really made a huge difference on their perspective of writing, since it is one of the struggles they have in ELA class. Here is the story they wrote about Chance, who has a happily ever after home now! You can bid on Chance during PupArt Party 2026.
A Wonderful Change for Chance
Early in the morning, a big, colorful dog was dirty from running through the muddy fields. Chance, a boxer, was on a rocky, dangerous adventure. It all started when he ran away from
home because his owner thought he barked too loudly.
First, as he walked away from home, Chance saw a wooded area. The wooded area had many green trees. As he walked through the muddy forest, he met many new animal friends who scared him. Chance had been around some of the animals, but some he had never seen before. Steve, the snake, called him names like stinky loser. The bear, Bob, scared him with his big, sharp claws and white, shiny teeth. A soft white rabbit, Brian asked, “How did you get here?” This scared Chance because no one had ever talked to him before, and he really didn’t know anyone outside of his home.
Next, Chance heard a bus coming down the road next to the woods. He ran quickly as he could so he couldn’t miss getting on the bus. He wanted out of the woods as fast as he could! Chance snuck onto the bus, noticed the red cloth seats, and hopped onto one. As the bus rolled down the street, he began thinking of his next move. The bus came to a slow stop, and Chance ran off. He noticed many large buildings and trees, and heard many cars honking their horns. He was so tired from his adventure that he walked to the nearest house he could
find.
Chance knew he needed to rest. He began jumping and howling outside the house’s front door. No one seemed to see or hear him, so Chance noticed a window was open. He leaped through the window, shocking the homeowner. Elliot, the homeowner, walked slowly toward Chance because he was afraid Chance might be mean. Chance jumped into his arms like he had known him forever. Elliot had always wanted a friend, but knew that the right thing to do was to bring him to the vet to find his real owner.
In conclusion, the vet scanned Chance to see if he had a microchip. The owner was John Doe, and Elliot called to ask whether he was missing Chance. When answering the phone,
John Doe said, “Yes, he is mine, but he has given me a lot of trouble. You can keep him.”
Elliot was thrilled to have a new fluffy dog. He took such great care of Chance by feeding him the
tastiest treats, playing with him every day, and giving him a loving home. Chance had never felt as happy as he did that day Elliot brought him home.
