by Ellen Miles
Sparky gazed up at her with sparkly, mischievous eyes.
Especially when it comes to you!
Ms. Dobbins helped Lizzie tuck Sparky into his crate. She kissed the top of his head. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mister,” she said.
“Should I bring him to Caring Paws when I come to volunteer?” Lizzie asked. Saturday was her regular day.
“Absolutely,” said Ms. Dobbins. “I think he gets a lot out of it, and people love seeing him. I think it’s fantastic for folks to see how well a three-legged dog can do, even so soon after surgery.” She petted Sparky’s head one more time. “He’s like a poster boy for tripawds.”
“Won’t you stay for dinner?” Mom asked as Ms. Dobbins was leaving.
Lizzie could see that Ms. Dobbins was tempted—probably because it would mean a little more time with Sparky. But she shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ve got some phone calls to make and emails to write.”
After Ms. Dobbins left, Lizzie helped Mom set the table. “Ms. Dobbins works all the time, doesn’t she?” Lizzie said.
Mom nodded. “Running a shelter takes a lot of work.”
“Don’t you think Ms. Dobbins could use a friend?” Lizzie said. “A companion?” Lizzie had been thinking about it all afternoon.
Mom stopped putting down forks and looked at Lizzie. “Are you seriously thinking that she might adopt Sparky?” she asked. “I thought she’s always said she’ll never adopt a dog.”
Lizzie raised an eyebrow. “That’s what she always said,” she agreed. Then she grinned. “Until she met Sparky, that is.”
On Saturday, Lizzie couldn’t wait to tell Harper what she’d been thinking, but she didn’t have a chance until they had finished sweeping and mopping the kennel area and were taking a break out in the fenced dog run. They’d brought Sparky and Petey out with them, just to give them both a little outdoor time. Petey moseyed around slowly, sniffing each spot very thoroughly before moving on to the next.
Sparky wasn’t exactly zooming around yet like the dogs in the videos, but he would have tried to if Lizzie hadn’t held tight to his leash. “Sorry, pal,” she told him. “I know you’re feeling peppy, but you need more time to heal.” Sparky made his way around the yard on three legs, hardly even limping. He sniffed and snuffled and peed, just like any other dog would.
Lots of great smells here! I love this place.
“Well, Sparky sure does seem to enjoy being here at Caring Paws,” said Harper, smiling down at the happy pup. “Did you see how he was watching everything that was going on out at reception?”
“Exactly!” said Lizzie. “I’ve been thinking. Remember those cats at Dr. Jo’s office—Yogi and Moxie? The ones they called the office mascots? I think Sparky would be the perfect mascot for Caring Paws.” She explained why she thought Sparky could be the exception to Ms. Dobbins’s rule of never adopting a dog. “I’m just not sure how we can convince Ms. Dobbins to adopt him,” she said finally, wondering if Harper would think the idea was ridiculous.
But Harper grinned at her and held up a hand for a high five. “Great idea. And as for how, it’s obvious that Ms. Dobbins is already crazy about Sparky. All we really have to do is make sure she falls even more in love.” She knelt down to scoop Sparky gently into her arms. “Right, Sparky?” she asked, kissing him on his adorable little nose.
Sparky blinked up at her and tilted his head to one side.
Whatever you say!
Harper and Lizzie giggled. Lizzie smiled at her new friend. Ms. Dobbins had been right—Lizzie was glad that Harper came on Saturdays. She was a lot of help, and she was fun to be around.
“Hey, guess what?” Harper asked Lizzie. “Speaking of adopting, I think I’ve convinced my parents that we should give Petey a home. He won’t be any trouble at all.”
“That’s fantastic!” said Lizzie.
“I’m going to bring my mom and dad to meet Petey tomorrow,” Harper said. “Maybe you can come, too. And that way you’d have an excuse to bring Sparky here again.”
“Yes!” said Lizzie. “Ms. Dobbins needs to see him every single day. She’ll get so used to having him around that she won’t ever want to give him up.” Lizzie smiled down at the pup, who had crawled into her lap for a nap. “Just think, Sparky! If things go our way, we’ll be seeing you all the time.”
Lizzie and Harper did everything they could to bring Ms. Dobbins and Sparky together. At the end of the day on Sunday, Lizzie suggested that Ms. Dobbins should just take him home for the night. “My mom has work to do tomorrow,” she said, “so she won’t be home to care for him.” She gave Harper a secret smile when Ms. Dobbins agreed.
On Monday, Ms. Dobbins brought Sparky back to Caring Paws for the day. When Harper got there to volunteer, she made sure that she was busy with other tasks so that Ms. Dobbins had to take care of Sparky.
Soon, Sparky was basically living with Ms. Dobbins, either at her home or at Caring Paws. On the afternoon of Sparky’s appointment for a checkup, Ms. Dobbins and Harper picked Lizzie up after school. Sparky was already in the car, sitting next to Harper in the middle of the backseat, snuggled cozily into a familiar nest of blankets. Lizzie opened the door and climbed in next to him. “Sparky! I’ve missed you so much.” She leaned over to kiss him, and he kissed her back, thumping his tail on the blankets.
Great to see you again, friend!
Lizzie grinned at Harper. “He really is the cutest tripawd ever,” she said.
“He is. In fact, he’s literally the cutest puppy in the entire universe,” Ms. Dobbins said from the driver’s seat.
Harper raised her eyebrows as she grinned back at Lizzie. “He’s doing really well, too. Isn’t he Ms. Dobbins?” Harper said, laughing. “Remember how excited he was yesterday at Caring Paws when you gave him that hamburger squeaky toy?”
Ms. Dobbins laughed, too.
Lizzie bit her lip. That old jealous feeling washed over her, knotting up her stomach in a familiar way. She felt left out since she’d been at school instead of at Caring Paws. But she shook it off. Why waste time feeling jealous of a great new friend like Harper? “How’s Petey doing?” she asked instead. She was so glad that Harper’s parents had agreed to adopt him.
“I think he’s really happy to have a home,” said Harper. “And our other two dogs already love him.” She told Lizzie about the cozy bed she’d set up for him, and all the good treats he was enjoying.
Soon Ms. Dobbins pulled up at Dr. Jo’s. Lizzie walked into the surgeon’s office, feeling very different this time from how she’d felt a week ago. Back then, Lizzie had hoped more than anything that Dr. Jo would be able to fix Sparky’s leg. Today, she was hoping for something entirely different. She and Harper exchanged a secret wink as they followed Ms. Dobbins, who was carrying Sparky like a baby in her arms, into the exam room.
“Welcome back, Sparky!” said Dr. Jo as Ms. Dobbins handed him over. “My, don’t you look fantastic. Somebody has been taking very good care of you.”
“Many somebodies,” said Ms. Dobbins. “It’s been a group effort.”
Dr. Jo did a quick exam, leaving the bandage off this time so that Lizzie could see the stitches running across Sparky’s hip. “We’ll take those out in a week or so,” said Dr. Jo. “But in the meantime, he’s free to do a little more each day. We want him to start getting stronger now, and there are all kinds of exercises you can teach him to help with that. I’ll give you a handout when you leave.”
“That’s wonderful news!” said Ms. Dobbins. Lizzie could see that she was near tears.
“And I would say you can definitely start looking for a permanent, loving home for Sparky,” said Dr. Jo. “I spoke to Lizzie about it last night”—she gave Lizzie a wink—“and we agreed that Sparky’s home will have to be with someone with an open heart, lots of love to give, and, ideally, a workplace where dogs are welcome.”
Ms. Dobbins burst out laughing.
“I’m pretty sure I know why you’re laughing,” said Harper.
“I’m pretty sure I do, too,” said Lizzie. “Dr. Jo just described the perfect home for Sparky. And—I have a feeling he’s already found it!” She smiled at Ms. Dobbins. “What do you think?” she asked.
Ms. Dobbins nodded. This time, her tears began to flow. “He sure has,” she said. “This boy has found his home.” She scooped him carefully off the exam table to give him a hug. “You and me, Sparky,” she said, holding him close.
Lizzie and Harper gave each other a high five and a hug. Then they each gave the same to Dr. Jo. “We did it,” said Harper.
“Actually,” said Lizzie. “Sparky did it.”
Have you ever met a tripawd? They are more common than you would think. You might not even notice one at first at the dog park or on the beach, since many of them zoom around just as fast and play just as hard as all the other dogs. Your parents can help you find some videos like the ones Lizzie watched, and you’ll be as impressed as I was by the tripawd spirit!
Dear Reader,
I always wanted to write about a three-legged dog, but I wasn’t sure how the story should go. Then my friend Jennifer adopted her adorable tripawd puppy, Choṭi Jyotī, and I was so inspired by her stories and pictures. (Her name means “Little Light” in Hindi.) Sparky’s story is different from Jyotī’s, but they have a lot in common, too. If you’re interested, you can check out her page on Instagram, @choti_jyoti.
Yours from the Puppy Place,
Ellen Miles
“Here’s Buckley!” Lizzie Peterson led an excited Yorkie into the reception area at Bowser’s Backyard, her aunt’s doggy day-care center. Buckley pulled at the leash when he saw who was waiting for him.
“Buckley!” The woman knelt down and opened her arms, and Lizzie let the leash drop so the little dog could dash into his owner’s embrace. Lizzie loved seeing people and their dogs reunited at the end of the day. It was her favorite time to help out at Aunt Amanda’s—especially on Fridays, when the people and dogs were looking forward to being together all weekend.
“Buckley was a good boy today,” Lizzie told his owner. “I hear he had a lot of fun with Lena and Skye.” Lena and Skye were sister puppies, almost but not quite identical. They were both happy, fluffy, bouncy poodle mixes with pretty brown-and-cream coats. Lizzie knew that they both loved to play.
“Buckley loves it here,” said his owner, smiling at Lizzie. “But I’m glad I get him to myself for two whole days now.”
“Bye, Buckley, have a great weekend!” said Lizzie. She waved good-bye to Buckley as she went back to the kennels to fetch another dog whose owner was waiting.
Lizzie was excited about the upcoming weekend, too. Her aunt had invited her to Camp Bowser, her doggy sleepaway camp in the country. They would be driving up tomorrow, and Lizzie couldn’t wait. It was always a treat to spend time there with Aunt Amanda, who was possibly the only person in the world more dog-crazy than Lizzie. Aunt Amanda knew so much about dogs, and was always happy to share her knowledge with Lizzie.
Lizzie had loved dogs for as long as she could remember. She loved playing with them, training them, cuddling with them, and learning about them. Besides helping her aunt, she also volunteered at the local animal shelter, and she even had a dog-walking business. On top of all that, she and her younger brothers, Charles and the Bean, had managed to convince their parents to let them foster puppies. Now the Petersons were a foster family who took care of puppies who needed homes.
Best of all, Lizzie had her own puppy, the best puppy ever. Buddy had started out as a foster puppy, but when the whole family had fallen in love, they had decided to keep him forever.
“Can Buddy come to Camp Bowser with us?” she asked her aunt as they got ready to sweep and mop the kennels after all the dogs had left.
“Aw, I love Buddy, you know that,” said Aunt Amanda. “But this time it’s just going to be us and Bowser, remember? We have a lot to do if we’re going to plan that clicker-training workshop.”
Lizzie nodded. “Right,” she said. “Got it.” She was flattered that Aunt Amanda had asked for her help this weekend. They were going to work on a new workshop that her aunt wanted to start offering. Lizzie had heard of clicker training, but she’d never tried it—which, according to Aunt Amanda, was perfect. Lizzie hoped she wouldn’t let Aunt Amanda down.
“You and Bowser will be learning at the same time,” her aunt had said. “We’ll keep a training diary and see how much we can do in one weekend. And if I’m right about my guess, we can make it so simple that even kids can take the workshop. Of course, most kids don’t know nearly as much as you do about dogs, but still.”
Lizzie felt herself blushing. Compliments from her aunt meant so much. It was one thing for your parents to tell you how fantastic you were—that was kind of their job, really. But to have Aunt Amanda compliment her—well, that was extra special.
Aunt Amanda really was a dog expert. She had Bowser, a big, calm, older golden retriever, who was always up for anything. She also had three pugs, but this weekend they would be staying home with Uncle James. “We don’t need all that wild pug energy when we’re trying to concentrate,” she said now as she wrung out the mop.
“Remind me again about how it works?” Lizzie asked. “The clicker thing?”
“It’s simple, really,” said her aunt. She pulled a small rectangular device out of her pocket and pressed on it with her thumb. A sharp click rang out. “Once a dog learns that this sound,” she clicked again, “means the same as ‘good dog’ and that a treat is coming, you can train them quickly to do all sorts of things.”
“But why is it better than just saying ‘good dog’?” Lizzie asked.
“Well, because it’s loud, and it’s a particular sound that doesn’t sound like anything else,” said her aunt. “It’s very clear, and you can time it exactly so the dog knows just what it is that he’s doing right.” She smiled at Lizzie as they hung up the mop and broom. “You’ll see. I think you’ll love it. Take a look online tonight if you want. I’ll send you links to some of my favorite clicker trainers’ videos.”
Just then, Aunt Amanda’s phone rang. “Hello?” she said, putting the phone to her ear.
Lizzie watched as her aunt listened, her expression becoming more and more concerned.
“Hi, Mac. Oh, dear. Poor Donut. I can just imagine. How can I help?” She looked upset. “This weekend? Now? Well … sure. Yes. Of course.” She hung up and turned to Lizzie.
“What happened?” Lizzie asked.
“Do you remember Donut?” asked Aunt Amanda. “That little German shepherd–Lab mix? The sweetest pup.”
Lizzie nodded. “She was in your puppy kindergarten a while ago, right?” Lizzie loved helping out at puppy kindergarten classes. It was always so much fun to see the youngest dogs try hard to please their owners—when all they really wanted to do was bark, run around like wild things, and wrestle with one another. It was total chaos, total joy.
“That’s right,” said Aunt Amanda. “And they’ve been regulars here since then. But now her family has to move across country for a job. They’ve found a great home to rent, but …”
“They don’t allow dogs,” said Lizzie. She’d heard it before at the animal shelter. It was one of the most common reasons why people had to give up their dogs. Lizzie felt bad for the family—but she also felt a familiar little tickle of excitement. “So maybe they need a foster family for Donut?” she asked.
“Not quite yet,” said Aunt Amanda. “They’re still hoping for a miracle. But time is running out. They’re packing up all their belongings this weekend, and Mac says that Donut is getting very upset. She knows something’s going on. He asked me to take her for the weekend. So—”
“So we get to take her to camp with us?” Lizzie asked. She felt sorry for Donut’s owners, but she couldn’t help being excited, too. “Maybe we can try clicker training her, too.”
Her aunt looked at her and nodded. “You know,” she said, “that’s actually not a bad idea at all.”
“Donut!” Lizzie said, kneeling down.
Ellen Miles loves dogs, which is why she has a great time writing the Puppy Place books. And guess what? She loves cats, too! (In fact, her very first pet was a beautiful tortoiseshell cat named Jenny.) That’s why she came up with the Kitty Corner series. Ellen lives in Vermont and loves to be outdoors with her dog, Zipper, every day, walking, biking, skiing, or swimming, depending on the season. She also loves to read, cook, explore her beautiful state, play with dogs, and hang out with friends and family.
Visit Ellen at ellenmiles.net.
Don’t miss any of these other stories by Ellen Miles!
Angel
Bandit
Barney
Baxter
Bear
Bella
Bentley
Biggie
Bitsy
Bonita
Boomer
Bubbles and Boo
Buddy
Champ
Chewy and Chica
Cocoa
Cody
Cooper
Cuddles
Daisy
Edward
Flash
Fluffy & Freckles
Gizmo
Goldie
Gus
Honey
Jack
Jake
Kodiak
Liberty
Lily
Lola
Louie
Lucky
Lucy
Maggie and Max
Miki
Mocha
Molly
Moose
Muttley
Nala
Noodle
Oscar
Patches
Princess
Pugsley
Rascal
Rocky
Roxy