The dog had fluffy fur and seemed friendly. Knox's mom came out and smiled. "We should help him," she said. They gave the dog some beef and water.

The dog's name tag said Max. Max looked happy and wagged his tail. "Can we keep him?" Knox asked, his eyes full of hope.

Mom thought for a moment. "We need to make sure he doesn't belong to anyone," she said. They made a plan to find Max's owner.

Knox and his mom made flyers and posted them around the neighborhood. They put a flyer on benches, trees, and even on the doors of houses. Days passed, but nobody called.

One day, Knox was playing in the sandlot with Max when he saw a boy looking sad. "Hi, I'm Knox. What's wrong?" he asked.

My dog is missing," the boy replied. "His name is Max."

Knox's heart sank. "I think I found your dog," he said.

"Max!" the boy shouted. Max ran to the boy, wagging his tail. Knox felt a mix of happiness and sadness. He was glad Max had found his owner. But he was also sad to say goodbye.

The boy thanked Knox. "You are very kind," he said. "Would you like to play with Max and me?"

Knox smiled. "I would like that," he said.

From that day on, Knox and the boy became good friends. They played with Max in the sandlot and went on many adventures. Knox learned that helping others can bring new friends and unexpected joy.