Rhett wants to know what is up with not being included in the cast of characters.

His photo is posted here, by way of a consolation prize.

(And may I just say: He’s a handsome fellow, yes he is, oh what a good boy, yes he is . . . Sorry, where were we? Ah yes, the Cast of Characters)

 Cast of Characters

  • Boxer Rambo, extrovert foil to introvert Jim Perkins, Water District engineer hopeful who is secretly in love with . . .

  • . . . sharp-tongued but warm-hearted Lauren, owner of the Apple Cart Grocery, whose Australian-shepherd mix Shelby was formerly the dog of . . .

  • . . . Bill, Lauren’s son, who wishes he could be with . . .

  • . . . Susan, software engineer and mother of Bill’s daughter Marta, both dogless for now but not forever

  • Labrador Molly, who gave to her humans the oh-so-wise philosophy WWMD (What Would Molly Do?), with Markus Bjorkin (island garbage collector and philosopher) and Ella Bjorkin, blended third- and fourth-grade classroom teacher

  • Dogless Sheriff Tom Haley, who has been sheriff so long his title really is part of his name

  • “Paulo,” stowaway whose short stay on Looser Island touches the other residents with unexpected permanence (dogless for obvious reasons)

  • Irritable Pomeranian Pretty Boy, status symbol and kindred spirit of Cherry Duluth, Chairwoman of the Looser Island Water District Board of Directors, realtor, and island siren

  • Unidentifiable blend of various sheep-herding breeds Hound, who creaks and groans alongside old Jens Jensen, sheep farmer and official island curmudgeon,
    and the father of . . .

  • . . . Sam, who works at the post office but has the soul of a poet, and who is the occasional lover of Susan

  • Greyhound Beatrix, who counsels attorney Larry Coombs, is muse to his wife, local artist Ruth, and unpaid nanny to their adopted daughter Katie

  • Great Pyrenees Mo, hairy guardian angel of Gloria, owner and chef extraordinaire of The Dog House Café

  • Dachshund Ralph, diminutive hero of the perennially dissatisfied Alessandra (owner of Barbara’s Breakfast Bar)

  • Pitbull-mix Jerry Garcia, gentle companion of Seth, the son of free spirited postmistress Jenny

  • Basset Hound-ish Gus, soulmate of Arnold (jazz musician and morning shift-worker at the Mini-Mart)

  • Pug Hubert, silent Yoda to old Celia Prewitt, the former school teacher and erstwhile trombone-player, grandmother to sailor Olga

  • Digger, beagle-ish dog of John and Donna Swartout, inseparable friends of Jack and Jill (really!) and their Scottish terriers Fran and Nan

  • Norm, a cheerfully combative camel

Characters in What the Dogs Know (sequel)

“The Hairy Horde,” canine companions of Missy (self-described “island delivery gal”): Buster, a mutt of uncertain heritage but absolutely certain affections; Manly, an unneutered but mild-mannered Great Dane; Fetch, a yellow Labrador who loves to—well, enough said; and Brunhilde, a beautiful but unpredictable Afghan Hound

Charlie, mostly-Newfoundland emotional support dog and CEO of drooling for Retha, who runs Retha’s Bar and Grill

Sylvia, cat-who-thinks-she’s-a-dog, presiding over The Coffee Hut owned by Amelia

Gafr the Goat, not technically a dog but treated like a pet by “the new hippie couple” Liam and Geena, and their toddler Daisy

Mazie, small white mop-dog and unpaid assistant to TeeKay Smith, owner of Island Books

Silas, three-legged dog belonging to Ben and Caroline Breckenridge, who run the Breckenridge Inn while raising: Angelique (6), John (10), Max (9), twins Hannah and Randy (13), Kevin (17), and Rainbow (also 17), one white Rat (Marvel); three more dogs (George, Roger, and Nadine); two cats (Miss Perfect and her counterpart, Miscreant); and a lizard of uncertain provenance named Storm. Also fifteen goats whose names no one can remember, because there are only so many things the brain can hold.

 Pip and JP, ancient dogs of indeterminate breed belonging to Frank and Kasumi.

Pip the Irascible (Missing: JP the Slightly Ridiculous).

Photo by portmaccer from Pixabay