EPILOGUE

Several weeks later, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby had gathered at Fred and Daphne's house to discuss the case. Scooby's ears perked at the sound of approaching footsteps, and he promptly barked an alert. "I'll get it," said Daphne, getting up from the living room sofa; she patted Scooby on the head, thanking him for his warning. "Mr. Wyndham," she said, announcing the identity of the visitor, "and Kala. Please, do come in."

"Thanks, "said Marc, leading the female Dane inside the house. "I want to thank you guys for all of your help," he began.

"Hey, it was no problem," Fred answered.

Daphne jabbed him in the ribs and shot him a sly grin. Yeah, right. Who was so hesitant to take this case in the first place?

"So, whatever happened to her?" the blond man continued, curiously.

"Well, she was arraigned on all five counts of animal cruelty and sentenced to two years in prison, the maximum allowable by law. She also got a three-year sentence for animal torture, and, on top of that, eighteen months for breaking and entering and possession of stolen property. The judge finalized our divorce that same day, so, she won't be bothering anyone for awhile, least of all, me and my dog." He paused for a moment to pat Scooby on the head. "So, how are the puppies?"

"Oh, like, they're fine," chimed Shaggy. "I contacted Scoob's breeder and she was able to find nice homes for all of them."

"That is great," Marc commented. "That's what a responsible breeder should do." Kala barked, as if agreeing with her owner's statement.

Fred leaned over and patted Kala on the head. "All finished with the show ring, I suppose."

Marc nodded. "Yeah, and for good, too. I never cared too much for showing dogs anyhow; I've decided to devote all of my energies to the Great Dane rescue program." He paused and looked at Shaggy. "Oh, by the way, Kala has something for Scooby."

Upon hearing his name, Scooby inched forward and sat down in front of Kala; she held a large, blue rosette ribbon in her mouth. "Kala, give," Marc ordered; the Dane promptly dropped the ribbon at Scooby's feet.

Velma examined the ribbon. "Jinkies!" she exclaimed. "A first place ribbon from the Westminster Kennel Club Show! Now that's an award."

Shaggy laughed as he pinned the ribbon onto Scooby's collar. "Like, as far as we're concerned, Scoob will always be the top dog, no matter what the AKC thinks."

Kala gave Scooby a quick lick on the muzzle. "Scooby-Dooby-Doo!" he howled, as the five humans stood back and laughed.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story as I posted the updates. I appreciate your immense patience, especially during the long wait between chapter 11 and chapter 12. L.O.L.

Mlle. Dinkley