The Big Growl is the catastrophic earthquake that destroys the city and the land in the first book. It is so powerful that it affects surrounding wild areas and settlements, and Gillian has stated that the effects of the Big Growl caused many other issues to arise. All longpaws of the city seem to have fled, leaving all their belongings and dogs behind. Lucky, Sweet, and Callie are the only ones who make it out of the Trap House after the Big Growl strikes. Following the Big Growl are other smaller Growls; please refer to the article Growl for more information on individual Growls.