From: New Adventures of Superboy #22 (October 1981)
This is the last Skippy story, I think. After this, Krypto goes back to support player and doesn't need the secret identity. So let's enjoy it while we can.
This adventure starts with some stick-throwing shenanigans, and then Krypto notices a possible canine injustice. A German shepherd jumps Chief Parker and almost gets shot by a deputy. Superboy to the rescue, but Krypto has his own concerns!
Krypto saves the dog long enough for S-boy to intervene with WORDS and tell the cops the animal should be checked out by Dr. Shatt. The bloodthirsty deputy really really wants him to be put to sleep though. Krypto thinks "Without a fair trial? Dogs have rights, too!" Not really, Krypto. Not really.
INTERLUDE: At the Kent farm, Ma Kent is upset her boys are feeding Skippy from the table.
You know, guys, if you're going to talk about what the dog eats in outer space anyway, maybe it doesn't matter if you let the name "Krypto" slip out. Digestion brings mistrust. Can a human vet REALLY understand what's wrong with a DOG? So Krypto slips out, and frees the German shepherd.
The "mutt" leads him to the malefactors behind the attack, two crooks who got some third party to turn a stray German shepherd into an attack dog they could use in crimes (specifically, revenge against Chief Parker). Now the dog's back, so is he gonna attack THEM? Rather than take the change, they shoot it. Well, not if Krypto has anything to say about it.
Don't worry about Krypto's lead spit, he's not actually aiming for them. He and the attack dog just run after the two wiseguys and corral them to Chief Parker's house. In fear for their lives, they surrender to him.
He recognizes them from 12 years earlier, as told in Superboy #19? Is Bob Rozakis REALLY dropping a decades' old reference by bringing back these two numbnuts?! Well, no, they mean New Adventures of Superboy #19 which, only three months earlier, featured a Superbaby back-up. Oh well. A shame, really.
So that's a doggie salute to the Chief, but also to the Krypto/Skippy back-ups in New Adventures.
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