Dog Keeps Barking At New Thrifted Dog Bed Until Dad Tears It Open

Something Wrong

Andrew didn’t understand what was going on. His dog wouldn’t stop barking at the bed no matter what he did.

He had initially chalked it up to it having an unfamiliar scent, but he was dead wrong.

The dog dad hadn’t considered that something much more sinister was going on behind the scenes.

Something Bothering Him

There was clearly something bothering Hero. Andrew couldn’t figure out what it was. The dog’s behavior had drastically changed in such a short amount of time.

It all had to do with the bed, but Andrew was blissfully unaware as to what the real problem was.

He thought he had picked it up for a steal, but his dog was now paying the price.

Getting Closer To The Source

The more Andrew thought about it, the deeper he delved into unfamiliar territory. He looked at the dog bed a little more closely.

That’s when he saw something that made a shiver go up his spine.

He looked closely at the fabric of the bed, and that’s when he was sure he saw something move underneath the surface.

Looking It Up

He felt disgusted at what he saw. He decided to do some research before doing anything else. He went online and asked for answers.

He knew it would take a while for people to reply to his post.

In the meantime, his mind wondered what was going on. He couldn’t help but stare at the dog bed in disgust.

Answers

Just a few hours later, Andrew decided to check his post again. He didn’t expect to see the hundreds of comments all pleading with him to evacuate his home immediately.

He stared back at the dog bed. What had he stumbled upon?

He should have listened to the advice from the internet.  Instead, his morbid curiosity got the better of him.

Cutting It Open

Andrew knew that he should have listened to the advice he had been given, but he was far too gone now.

He felt an obsession with the dog bed. He needed to know what was inside.

He found a safety knife in one of the rooms in his house and went back to the bed. He could still see the writhing from within. He drew a line across the fabric with the blade. But he’d regret everything once he saw what was inside.

Andrew Hodgings

Andrew Hodgings grew up with a normal family in Idaho. Growing up, his parents wanted him to get the best grades he could so that he could have a better future than they once had.

Andrew listened to them and graduated high school with remarkable grades.

But there was a catch to everything. The college he wanted to go to was fifty miles from home.

Moving Away

Just a young adult, Andrew moved to a small apartment close to the campus where he was going to study.

He found a job in the area to start paying rent. But it wasn’t long until the loneliness set in.

Andrew had never lived alone before. It was nice for the first few months, but he felt like a piece of him was missing. He decided to change that.

Getting A Companion

Andrew couldn’t be patient any longer. He did his research and found a nearby kennel. He dropped everything he was doing and headed over there.

That’s when he saw the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid his eyes on. There was a scruffy dog lying in the cage.

But when he saw Andrew, he jumped up against the cage. He knew they would be a perfect match.

Taking Him Home

After signing all of the forms, Andrew couldn’t believe he was able to take the stray dog home.

He stopped off at a supermarket and bought some dog food. But he had never owned a dog before.

He’d make one fatal mistake due to his inexperience that would change his life forever. Nothing would be the same again.

Getting Home

Andrew got home and brought the small dog inside. He wasn’t technically allowed animals in the apartment, but the dog was small, and he’d be sure to walk him twice a day.

But that’s when he realized he had missed something important. The dog would need a place to sleep.

Something he hadn’t provided. He knew he’d have to get him a dog bed. For the night, he slept on some newspaper.

Hero

Andrew also needed to get a tag for Hero. The shelter told him that they affectionately named him that because of his happy-go-lucky attitude.

Andrew’s heart was captivated by the small animal.

But now he needed to find a bed for Hero. That was his mission for the day. He decided to walk to the nearest center to look at the pet store. But he’d never make it there.

Something Along The Way

Andrew enjoyed the exercise the walk afforded him. He had his new dog by his side as they walked through the streets.

But along the way, Andrew saw something he couldn’t believe.

On the sidewalk, plain as day, was a stack of dog beds. He felt like he was looking at a mirage. But as he got closer, it was all too real to be some kind of hallucination.

A Good Deal

The vendor noticed Andrew staring and told him that if he was interested, he could sell him one. It would mean Andrew could devote more time to other things if he took this shortcut.

He examined the bed on the top of the pile and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

They were half the price of the beds at the pet store, so he couldn’t refuse. But he had no idea what he had just done.

Going About His Day

Andrew brought Hero and the bed home. He laid it out in the living room and went about with the rest of his day. He cleaned the apartment and checked his emails.

But when it was time for bed, Andrew failed to notice that his dog wasn’t a happy camper.

Andrew just assumed he would go to bed, but he was dead wrong.

Getting Used To It

When Andrew finally noticed that Hero wasn’t sleeping in his bed, he went to investigate.

The dog was just staring at the bed from across the room. His owner chalked it up to him, just having to get used to it and went back to bed.

He’d warm up to it and eventually love it, or at least that’s what Andrew thought. But in the morning, he found his dog lying in the corner.

Feeling Bad

Andrew felt bad. He decided that he had to find some way of getting Hero to like the bed.

He imagined the stray wasn’t used to sleeping on something comfy. He tried using treats, but the dog wouldn’t budge.

After a lot of frustration, Andrew didn’t know what else to do. That’s when things escalated in a way he could never have expected.

Barking

Hero’s behavior changed from watching the bed to barking at it. The dog clearly had a problem with the bed, but his owner failed to realize why.

He wouldn’t go near it even when it was time to sleep.

Andrew knew he had to think of a way to solve things. But he didn’t realize that his dog was trying to warn him about something he should have known about.

Dead Wrong

Andrew didn’t understand what was going on. His dog wouldn’t stop barking at the bed no matter what he did.

He had initially chalked it up to it having an unfamiliar scent, but he was dead wrong.

The dog dad hadn’t considered that something much more sinister was going on behind the scenes.

Paying For The Price

There was clearly something bothering Hero. Andrew couldn’t figure out what it was. The dog’s behavior had drastically changed in such a short amount of time.

It all had to do with the bed, but Andrew was blissfully unaware as to what the real problem was.

He thought he had picked it up for a steal, but his dog was now paying the price.

Looking Closer

The more Andrew thought about it, the deeper he delved into unfamiliar territory. He looked at the dog bed a little more closely.

That’s when he saw something that made a shiver go up his spine.

He looked closely at the fabric of the bed, and that’s when he was sure he saw something move underneath the surface.

Disgusted

He felt disgusted at what he saw. He decided to do some research before doing anything else.

He went online and asked for answers. He knew it would take a while for people to reply to his post.

In the meantime, his mind wondered what was going on. He couldn’t help but stare at the dog bed in disgust.

Checking His Post

Just a few hours later, Andrew decided to check his post again.

He didn’t expect to see the hundreds of comments all pleading with him to evacuate his home immediately.

He stared back at the dog bed. What had he stumbled upon? He should have listened to the advice from the internet. Instead, his morbid curiosity got the better of him.

Looking Inside

Andrew knew that he should have listened to the advice he had been given but he was far too gone now. He felt an obsession with the dog bed. He needed to know what was inside.

He found a safety knife in one of the rooms in his house and went back to the bed.

He could still see the writhing from within. He drew a line across the fabric with the blade. But he’d regret everything once he saw what was inside.

Mass Of Fur

Andrew fell backward and nearly hit his head as soon as he saw what was hiding inside of his dog bed.

He saw a mass of matted brown fur and beady black eyes all staring at him.

The smell was terrible, too. He nearly puked when it hit his nose. He knew he should have listened to the internet. But what was his next move? He had to call an expert.

Exterminator

Andrew didn’t know what to do other than call an exterminator. They would surely know what to do with the creatures that inhabited Hero’s bed.

He locked himself in his room until they knocked on his door.

He hurried past the bed and opened the door, ushering the man in the uniform in. Andrew showed him the bed, but the exterminator’s mouth fell open.

Only Heard Of Them

The exterminator didn’t seem to want to believe what Andrew had stumbled upon.

It was something that he’d only heard stories about. He saw the twisted tails, the screeching mouths, and the dozens of eyes.

“You don’t know what this is, do you?” The exterminator asked him. Andrew just shook his head in confusion.

Rat King

“That’s what we in the business call a rat king.” The exterminator told Andrew. But he didn’t understand what the man was talking about. What was a rat king? 

The exterminator didn’t want to mess around. He carefully took the bed out of Andrew’s apartment and into his van.

He turned to Andrew and told him to look it up.

Looking It Up

Andrew’s heart was still racing as he paid the exterminator before he went on his way. He walked back into his apartment and sat at his desk.

He decided to open his laptop and take the advice this time.

He searched for the keyword “rat king.” But the images and articles about the creatures only scared him more. Did something like this really exist?

A Phenomena

Andrew learned about the phenomenon called a rat king. A few rat kings have been recorded throughout history. It’s an event when more than a dozen rats get their tails twisted together into a knot. 

Sometimes, it ends in the rats starving, but Andrew was glad he found them in time. The exterminator told him they’d undo the knot and release the rats where they wouldn’t bother anyone. As For Hero, he got a new bed, one he loved sleeping in.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.