Jake's heart sank when he saw that Max, his golden retriever, had slipped out of the yard. The gate was open, and Max was nowhere in sight. Jake's mom had told him to make sure the gate was always closed, but he had forgotten after playing with Max in the backyard.
The whole family immediately started searching. Jake's dad drove around the neighborhood calling Max's name. His older sister Maria put up posters with Max's photo and their phone number. Jake felt terrible. It was his fault that Max was missing.
Jake decided to check the park where they often walked Max. When he arrived, he saw an elderly woman sitting on a bench with a familiar-looking dog. Jake's heart leaped! It was Max, sitting calmly next to the woman.
'Is this your dog?' the woman asked kindly. 'He came up to me and seemed lost. I've been sitting here hoping someone would come looking for him.' Jake rushed over and hugged Max, who wagged his tail excitedly.
Jake learned an important lesson that day. Being responsible meant paying attention to details, even small ones like closing a gate. From then on, Jake always double-checked the gate before leaving the yard.