How to Look for a Lost Dog by Ann M. Martin Page A

behind the desk, and so are two of the people sitting in the hard plastic chairs.
    Tears are running down my own face, but Rain licks them away, so I don’t have to worry about them.
    When Rain and I finally settle down and everyone has stopped crying, the shelter manager holds out her hand to Uncle Weldon and says, “My name is Julie Caporale.”
    Uncle Weldon and Julie Caporale talk for a while. I don’t pay much attention to what they’re saying. I sit on the floor where Rain has climbed into my lap and I stroke her ears and paws, and examine her closely. She looks thin, and she has some cuts on her face and some marks on her belly that might be insect bites. But she is still my Rain.
    After a long time I hear Mrs Caporale say to my uncle, “It’s clear that this lucky pup has found her owners, but I have to follow procedure before we release her to you. Could you please show me some identification? I need to make sure that the information on your ID matches the information on the microchip. I’m a little confused because the chip says the dog’s name is Olivia, not Rain.”
    I twist my head around to look at Uncle Weldon.
    â€œI’ll be happy to show you my driver’s licence,” he says, “but I should tell you that I’m Rose’s uncle, not her father, and—”
    I have to interrupt the conversation.
    â€œWhat’s a microchip?” I ask.

33
What a Microchip Is
    It turns out that a microchip is a tiny chip, about the size of a grain of rice, that a veterinarian injects into a pet, and that contains information such as who the pet’s owners are and how to contact them.
    â€œWe scanned Olivia – excuse me, Rain – for a chip when she was brought in,” Mrs Caporale tells Uncle Weldon and me.
    She’s been talking for a long time now, explaining microchip technology, and I’m trying hard not to interrupt again, but finally I can’t help it. “We didn’t have Rain microchipped!” I burst out. “We’ve never even taken her to the vet.”
    â€œBut she does have a microchip,” says Mrs Caporale.
    â€œAre you sure?” I’m getting a strange feeling in my stomach.
    â€œOf course. We scanned it, and that’s how we know her name is Olivia.” Mrs Caporale is frowning now. She sits in one of the chairs and opens a folder she’s been carrying. Then she turns to Uncle Weldon. “So you aren’t Jason Henderson? From Gloverstown?”
    Uncle Weldon shakes his head.
    â€œWe’ve been trying to contact the Hendersons, but we haven’t had any luck,” says Mrs Caporale. “That’s why we were so pleased when you called yesterday, Rose – even though you hung up before we could get your number. Our phones have been misbehaving ever since the storm,” she adds, and smiles at me. “We thought you were one of the Hendersons. We assumed they’d had to move because of Hurricane Susan. Gloverstown got hit badly and we just get a fast busy signal whenever we call the Hendersons’ home number. And they didn’t include a cell phone number on their contact information, so…”
    She spreads her hands.
    I slump onto the floor with Rain again. I put my arms around her and feel her fur against my neck. She’s so soft that I think maybe she’s been given a bath recently. I rest my cheek next to her face.
    â€œWho are you, Rain?” I whisper.

34
What Mrs Caporale Says
    Mrs Caporale and Uncle Weldon continue their conversation. I sit on the floor and think about Rain and my father.
    I remember the night my father brought Rain home. I wonder if my father didn’t know about microchips or if he just didn’t want to look for Rain’s owners.
    I think of my father letting Rain outside during a superstorm without her collar.
    I realize that my father hasn’t helped me one bit in my search for Rain.
    I turn around and say to Mrs