having to do with animals. “The puppies grow up with very little exposure to people, in overcrowded conditions, where diseases can spread easily. The puppies are sold at pet stores, or through classified ads,to owners who don’t know that they may be buying a sick dog, or a mixed-up puppy with behavior problems that can’t be solved.” Now Ms. Dobbins looked really sad. “There are already plenty of unwanted puppies in the world, and we don’t need more. Puppy mills are a terrible, terrible thing.”
“But . . . aren’t they illegal?” Mom asked. She held the dachshund and rocked it like a baby. “They must be. How could anyone treat dogs that way?”
“They’re banned in some places, but not in this state. Our legislature hasn’t passed a law against puppy mills yet,” Ms. Dobbins said. She sighed and went back to unloading the car.
The puppies just kept coming. Andrew and Julie took the dogs into the shelter and settled them into kennels. Lizzie saw a tiny long-haired shih tzu, a German shepherd with huge ears and a pointy nose (“That looks just like Scout whenshe was a puppy,” Charles said when he saw it), and another Lab puppy, a yellow one this time. Lizzie wished she could hug and kiss and hold every single one of them, but Ms. Dobbins wanted to get them settled as quickly as possible.
“We’re out of kennels,” reported Andrew after he’d taken the yellow Lab puppy inside.
“I was afraid of that,” said Ms. Dobbins. “And there are still two puppies left. Brother and sister, by the looks of them.”
She reached into the car one more time and Mr. Beauregard handed over two teeny, tiny puppies. Their heads were shaped just like apples, and both had short fur, perky ears, and big, bulgy shiny brown eyes. “This one is the boy” — Ms. Dobbins held up a brown-and-white one — “and this one is the girl.” She showed off a black-and-white one.
Lizzie could hardly believe how small they were. They snuggled together, fitting perfectlyinto Ms. Dobbins’s cupped hands. Lizzie couldn’t help herself. She walked right over to Ms. Dobbins and put out one finger to gently pet the black-and-white puppy’s tiny head.
“Chihuahuas!” said Lizzie.
“You’re absolutely right,” said Ms. Dobbins.
CHAPTER TWO
Lizzie was
always
right about dog breeds. Charles knew that it was because of the “Dog Breeds of the World” poster in her room. She had practically memorized it, so even if she had never seen a briard in real life, she could tell you exactly what it looked like (huge, shaggy), where it came from (France), and what it was used for (guarding sheep). Charles had to admit that Lizzie knew a lot about dogs.
“Chihuahuas who are going to need a foster home,” Ms. Dobbins went on. She looked right at Mom when she said that.
Mom gulped. “Two puppies?” she asked. “You want us to foster two puppies at once?”
Ms. Dobbins nodded. “These two will probably do best if they are together for now,” she said. “They may have to be separated eventually, but I hate to do it on their first night in a new place. If you could just take them for a few days, until I find homes for some of the other puppies . . .”
Sammy nudged Charles. “C’mon, you have to take them,” he whispered.
“We’ll do it!” said Charles.
Mom turned to him. “But what about our trip?”
“Never mind the trip,” Lizzie burst out. “This is way more important.”
Charles bit his lip. He had almost forgotten about the vacation his family had been planning for the last few weeks.
The Petersons planned to leave Buddy with Charles and Lizzie’s aunt Amanda, who ran a doggy day-care center, then drive up to AdventureLand, the coolest amusement parkever. Charles had looked forward to it all spring. He’d even saved up his allowance for extra ride tickets. He planned to try to set a world record for riding the roller coaster.
Charles looked at the puppies. The brown-and-white one trembled and
“But . . . aren’t they illegal?” Mom asked. She held the dachshund and rocked it like a baby. “They must be. How could anyone treat dogs that way?”
“They’re banned in some places, but not in this state. Our legislature hasn’t passed a law against puppy mills yet,” Ms. Dobbins said. She sighed and went back to unloading the car.
The puppies just kept coming. Andrew and Julie took the dogs into the shelter and settled them into kennels. Lizzie saw a tiny long-haired shih tzu, a German shepherd with huge ears and a pointy nose (“That looks just like Scout whenshe was a puppy,” Charles said when he saw it), and another Lab puppy, a yellow one this time. Lizzie wished she could hug and kiss and hold every single one of them, but Ms. Dobbins wanted to get them settled as quickly as possible.
“We’re out of kennels,” reported Andrew after he’d taken the yellow Lab puppy inside.
“I was afraid of that,” said Ms. Dobbins. “And there are still two puppies left. Brother and sister, by the looks of them.”
She reached into the car one more time and Mr. Beauregard handed over two teeny, tiny puppies. Their heads were shaped just like apples, and both had short fur, perky ears, and big, bulgy shiny brown eyes. “This one is the boy” — Ms. Dobbins held up a brown-and-white one — “and this one is the girl.” She showed off a black-and-white one.
Lizzie could hardly believe how small they were. They snuggled together, fitting perfectlyinto Ms. Dobbins’s cupped hands. Lizzie couldn’t help herself. She walked right over to Ms. Dobbins and put out one finger to gently pet the black-and-white puppy’s tiny head.
“Chihuahuas!” said Lizzie.
“You’re absolutely right,” said Ms. Dobbins.
CHAPTER TWO
Lizzie was
always
right about dog breeds. Charles knew that it was because of the “Dog Breeds of the World” poster in her room. She had practically memorized it, so even if she had never seen a briard in real life, she could tell you exactly what it looked like (huge, shaggy), where it came from (France), and what it was used for (guarding sheep). Charles had to admit that Lizzie knew a lot about dogs.
“Chihuahuas who are going to need a foster home,” Ms. Dobbins went on. She looked right at Mom when she said that.
Mom gulped. “Two puppies?” she asked. “You want us to foster two puppies at once?”
Ms. Dobbins nodded. “These two will probably do best if they are together for now,” she said. “They may have to be separated eventually, but I hate to do it on their first night in a new place. If you could just take them for a few days, until I find homes for some of the other puppies . . .”
Sammy nudged Charles. “C’mon, you have to take them,” he whispered.
“We’ll do it!” said Charles.
Mom turned to him. “But what about our trip?”
“Never mind the trip,” Lizzie burst out. “This is way more important.”
Charles bit his lip. He had almost forgotten about the vacation his family had been planning for the last few weeks.
The Petersons planned to leave Buddy with Charles and Lizzie’s aunt Amanda, who ran a doggy day-care center, then drive up to AdventureLand, the coolest amusement parkever. Charles had looked forward to it all spring. He’d even saved up his allowance for extra ride tickets. He planned to try to set a world record for riding the roller coaster.
Charles looked at the puppies. The brown-and-white one trembled and
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