Pops is so close to freedom, he can smell it, Martha thought. Or maybe he smells the Burger Barn down the street. Mmm, burgers ... Uh-oh! Where is Pops going?
Pops ran under Kazuo's legs and out the door.
DOGS ON
THE RUN
"Hey, Pops! Get back here!" Kazuo called.
Pops was on the run.
So was Martha. She ran out the door, past Kazuo, and down the street. Pops was faster than he looked, but it didn't take her long to catch up with him.
"Stop, Pops! What about the others?" she said.
Suddenly, she heard a BUM, BUM, BADUM! Headlights beamed on them from behind.
"Watch out!" Martha said to Pops. "The Shelter Mobile is on our tails!"
"You'll never make it, Pops!" Kazuo shouted. Pops and Martha raced around a corner.
"This is a dead-end street," Martha said. "Up ahead! He can't follow us there!"
The dogs fled into the woods.
Behind them, the Shelter Mobile screeched to a stop. Kazuo got out to chase them on foot.
"Pops! We're leaving the others behind!" Martha said. She stopped to catch her breath "How can we enjoy being free when we deserted them—"
Before Martha could finish, she felt something familiar around her neck. And it wasn't her collar.
"Gotcha again!" Kazuo said, holding the catch pole.
"Please," Martha said. "Let Pops go! I can explain—"
"That's enough from you," Kazuo said.
"You finally hear me?" Martha asked. "I was beginning to wonder if you could only hear music. Or if you had ears. Or if—"
"Shhh. Did I ask for your opinion?" Kazuo said. He looked up to see Pops in the distance. "Pops, what are you doing?"
The old bulldog stood in the moonlight.
"We've been through this before," Kazuo said softly. "You break out, the world is harsh, and you feel neglected. Three weeks later, you're at the shelter again. Come back, Pops. We'll find you a family."
Pops hung his head. He shuffled toward Kazuo.
"Nice dog," said Kazuo. Martha watched as Kazuo scratched Pops's head.
Kazuo might not have good ears, Martha thought, but he has a good heart.
A NEW DAY
When Martha saw her shelter friends again, it was from behind bars.
Everyone is sad about being back in a cage, Martha thought. It's all my fault.
The dogs sulked in silence. The only sound came from the pigeon.
Coo, coo.
"Yes, the birdseed deal is still on!" Martha snapped. "Jeepers."
Kazuo came in carrying bags of dog food.
"Howdy, boys and girls," he chirped. "Why the long faces? It's morning. Say hello to a new day!"
Nobody answered.
"Or not," Kazuo said. "Listen, I know this place can get gloomy. But I'm trying to find you families. Escaping doesn't help anybody. Why don't we make a fresh start?"
He turned to Martha. "Hey, new dog! What kind of chow do you like? Bark once for Meaty Bix, twice for Waggy Wafers."
"My name is Martha," she said. "And I'd like Meaty Bix, please!"
"Let's try this again," said Kazuo. "Bark once for Meaty Bix, twice for Waggy Wafers."
"I don't need to bark. I can talk! Can't I just phone my family so they can bring me home?" Martha asked.
"I'm sorry. Dogs are not allowed to make phone calls," Kazuo replied.
"But you said you hoped we'd find families," Martha said. "I already have one."
"Kid, you have no collar to prove you belong to anyone. If I let you use the phone, then all the dogs will want to."
"Well, didn't anyone call here looking for me?" Martha asked.
"Oh, yeah. Somebody did call," Kazuo said, scratching his head. "About a talking dog. But how do I know you're that talking dog?"
"Kazuo!" Martha said.
He sighed. "Okay. What's your number?"
Martha told him. Kazuo began to dial.
"Wait," he said. "What if you're just calling another talking dog?"
Martha groaned. "Someone is acting like a birdbrain in this room, and it's NOT the pigeon."
"Oh, all right." Kazuo held the phone to Martha's ear.
"Hello?" Helen answered.
"It's me!" Martha said, wagging her tail. "I'm in the animal shelter."
"Martha! Thank goodness! Are you all right?" Helen asked.
"Yes," said Martha.
"That's terrific. I'm so happy," Helen said. "May I ask you something?"
"Sure. What's that?" said Martha.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Helen shouted. "WHY DID YOU CHASE STINKY GARBAGE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE'VE BEEN?"
"Wow," Kazuo said. "Anyone who cares enough to yell that loud has got to be your family."'
MARTHA SPEAKS
AGAIN
And that's how I busted out of doggy jail. Kazuo and I waited for my family in the reception area. It was hard to sit still.
"You have ants in your pants," Kazuo said.
"Kazuo! Dogs do not wear pants," I said. "Well, unless you count my terrier friend, Frank. Now, that's just embarrassing. I mean—"
"Okay, okay," Kazuo said. "Your family will be here soon, Martha. We'll miss you."
"I'll miss you all too. I want to take everyone home with me," I said. "Why is it so hard to find families for the dogs?"
"I guess people don't know about them," Kazuo said.
"I wish we could show everybody how great these dogs are," I said.
Just then, two of my favorite people burst through the door.
"MARTHA!" Helen shouted.
I leaped into Helen's arms. It felt great to be hugged again.
"Thanks for finding our Martha," Mom said to Kazuo. "It will be nice to get her home."
"Oh, I'm not leaving," I said.
"What?" said Helen.
"I've decided I can't abandon my friends. Come meet them!"
I introduced Helen and Mom to the others. The dogs all looked so sad.
"Maybe we could adopt them," Helen said. "They could be part of our family."
Mom shook her head. "That's a lot of dogs."
"And a lot of responsibility," said Kazuo. "I couldn't let you adopt them all unless I knew you could take care of each and every one."
For the first time in my life, I couldn't find any words. At least none that were encouraging.
"How can we get people to adopt the dogs?" Helen asked me as we walked out into the shelter yard.
"They just have to meet them," I said. "Maybe we can sneak the dogs into houses at night. Then when the people wake up—bingo! They have a dog. It's like Christmas."
"But what if they don't make good families?" Helen said. "Like Kazuo said, people have to want the dogs."
"Right," I said, thinking again.
The faint sound of music interrupted my thoughts. It was the theme song to my favorite TV talent show.
"Hey, we're missing International Icon," I said.
"Who cares?" Helen said.
"Only everybody," I said. I call to vote for my favorite contestant every week. "Who can resist great talent?"
Helen's face lit up.
"A dog talent show!" we said together.
It was a great idea, if I do say so myself.
"We can have it right here at the shelter tomorrow," I said. "You spread the word. I'll get the dogs ready. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when I tell them!"
I told the dogs our idea and waited for their applause. And waited...
This was not the reaction I had imagined—no reaction.
"Just give it a shot," I said. "I can't promise anything. But with everyone's help, we can make this show a success. It's not going to be easy. It's going to be work, work, and more work. But you can do it!"
The dogs stood a little straighter. They were listening, and I didn't have to offer any of them a single doggy treat.
"You're going out there dogs," I said, "and you're coming back ... Well, you'll still
be dogs. But YOU'LL HAVE FAMILIES!"
The dogs barked cheerily.
Except for one. Pops grunted and went back to sleep.
BEST PAW
FORWARD
Helen and her best friend, T.D., delivered flyers to every dogless kid in town.
They went to all kinds of houses—small, big, neat, and messy. They visited a noisy house of triplets who didn't like to share. And the quiet apartment of a boy who traveled a lot.
"Come see Wagstaff City's Top Dog," Helen said to the boy. "It's the best dog show ever."
"If you're lucky, you'll take home a pet of your own," T.D. added.
The boy frowned. "My parents say it'd be too hard to take a dog on a plane with us."
It seemed like everyone had an excuse for not getting a dog. But Helen and T.D. promised them a show they'd never forget.
Back at the shelter, Martha was giving the dogs their first lesson in being irresistible.
"Put your best paw forward," she told them. "Let's show the people what makes you, you. Streak, Butterscotch, and Mandarin, what do you do best?"
The puppies stared blankly. They were young and didn't understand Martha's instructions.
"You're affectionate. Show me!"
Yip, yip, yip! they all yipped together.
"QUIET!" Martha said. "Loud yipping is not being affectionate."
Yap? Streak asked.
"Being affectionate means being friendly and showing people you love them," Martha answered. "You know how to do that, right?"
The puppies pounced on Martha and covered her with kisses.
"Okay! A little less affection ... and drool," Martha said.
Martha turned to Wally, the pointer. "Show me your best quality, Wally!"
He ran to a puddle.
What kind of talent do we have here? Martha wondered.
Wally dropped and rolled. He was a muddy mess. Then he trotted back and shook his coat. Mud splattered onto everyone.
"Maybe we need to review what I meant when I said best quality," said Martha, shaking herself off. "No one comes to the shelter saying, 'Give me your dirtiest dog.' People want clean. They want cute. They want... the low wiggle."
The dogs looked confused.
"You don't know what the low wiggle is?" Martha said. "It works like this. When someone comes into the shelter—POW! You turn on the charm. Watch me."
Martha smiled and wagged her tail.
"This is how to say, 'I like you! I hope you like me.' Then you crouch low to the ground and wiggle toward the person. See?" Martha wiggled with her rear in the air.
"For the big finish, show your belly!" Martha flopped onto her back. "Now you try."
The dogs ran in circles. Some crashed into each other. A few skipped the wiggle and went straight for the belly move.
"This is going to take a lot of work," Martha muttered. She looked at Pops, alone in the corner. "Pops, how about you?"
Pops just walked away.
Maybe you can't teach an old dog new tricks, Martha thought. But I will try. I'll get this ragtag bunch ready for tomorrow's show if it takes me all day.
Sure enough, Martha was still talking after the sun set. "Eyes, ears, and tails! Come on! I want to see wagging!"
It was a long night.
TOP DOG
The next day, the dogs couldn't believe how many people had come to see them.
"Look at this crowd!" Helen said. "We're sure to get the dogs adopted."
"Don't get your hopes too high," Dad said. "Kazuo has been trying for a long time."
At last, the show was about to begin.
Martha made her grand entrance.
"Welcome to Wagstaff City's Top Dog! I'm your host, Martha. It's time for this show to go to the dogs!"
The dogs strutted down the stage as if it were a runway.
"Awwww!" said the crowd, enjoying the show already.
"Do you want a dog who is always your friend no matter what?" Martha said. "Well, dogs don't come any more loyal than Wally!"
Wally came out wearing his most loyal look.
"He is so loyal, he nearly lost an ear protecting his last owner from a bear!"
Wally showed off his chewed-up ear. The crowd gasped.
"Is that true?" T.D. asked Helen.
"Mostly," Helen said, "NOT."
"I know we travel a lot, but could we please adopt him, Dad?" asked a boy.
"I don't know," said the boy's dad. "How would we take him with us?"
"Psst, Wally," Helen whispered. She held an animal carrier. Wally marched inside and shut the door behind him.
"A frequent flyer dog for the family on the go!" Helen said.
"That's the dog for us!" said the boy's dad.
"YES!" said the boy, hugging his father.
Then Estelle pranced onto the stage.
"She's elegant! She's stylish! But is she devoted?" Martha said, looking at a girl in the audience.
"If devoted means someone who's going to love you forever, then that's Estelle!"
Estelle did a perfect low wiggle.
"And a poodle won't get hair on your chair," Martha said to the girl's mom.
The mom nodded to her daughter.
"Woo-hoo!" cheered the girl. Estelle leaped into her arms.
Butterscotch trotted out next. She nuzzled Martha's leg.
"What does every human dream of in a dog?" Martha said. "Affection! As you can see, Butterscotch is the most affectionate—HEY!"
One of the triplets yanked Butterscotch off the stage.
"You're mine," she said, kissing the puppy's ear.
"She's mine!" yelled her sister.
"No, mine!" yelled the other.
"Please stop fighting! There's more where she came from," Martha said.
Streak and Mandarin came out. The girls scooped them up.
"We're so happy," the triplets said, holding their new pets.
"Me too," said their dad, holding his head.
By the end of the show, each dog had found a family. Or so Martha thought.
"Thanks for coming," she said. "You'll find adoption forms in—"
"Martha, you forgot someone," Helen whispered loudly. She pointed to the stage steps, where Pops sat alone.
"Oops," said Martha. "Pops, do you want to come up here too?"
Pops snuffled, hesitating.
"We have one last contestant," Martha told the crowd. "Give a big paw ... I mean hand for Pops!"
Pops advanced onto the stage.
"Pops may look fierce, but he's as loyal and affectionate as any dog here. Would anyone like to take him home?" Martha asked as the people stood to leave.
"Anyone?" she asked again. But everyone was heading toward the door.
Poor Pops, Martha thought. He'll feel lonelier than ever.
Pops began to walk off the stage when a voice stopped him.
"I'll adopt him," someone said.
Martha spun around. "Kazuo?"
"Pops, you and I go back a long time," said Kazuo. "What do you say, old guy? Will you be my dog?"
Pops scowled.
Come on, Pops, Martha thought. Say yes. Pops's grumpy face broke into a huge smile. He licked Kazuo's cheek. "Hooray!" the remaining crowd cheered.
"Sealed with a slobbery kiss!'" Martha said. "It looks like my work here is done."
MARTHA SAYS
GOODBYE
Well, that's my story.
My shelter friends love their new families. Kazuo is still hosting talent shows. I hear Pops is even introducing the low wiggle to new dogs. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!
As for me, I went from being lucky to unlucky back to lucky again.
Now I'm the same fortunate dog I used to be. Unfortunately, I've ended up in the same place where this story began. The bathroom.
Still, it's good to be home with my chewies, soup, and most of all, family. Yes, I love everything about my home.
Well, almost everything ... I still HATE baths.
Uh-oh. I
see bubbles. Time to goooooooooooooooooo!
* * *
GLOSSARY
How many words do you remember from the story?
abandon: to leave behind or give up
adopt: to make someone a part of one's family
adore: to love and admire
affectionate: friendly, loving
deserted: left behind or given up by others
devoted: dedicated, loyal
fortunate: lucky in life
loyal: faithful to someone no matter what
neglected: not cared for properly, forgotten
overlooked: forgotten, missed, or ignored
unfortunate: unlucky
* * *
Adopting a Dog
Congratulations on deciding to make a dog a part of your family! Remember to make adoption your first option! There are wonderful dogs in shelters across the country, waiting for a second chance to become a family member.
Here are some things to consider:
• Think long-term—your pet can be with you ten to fifteen years from now.
• Do you want a "go-getter," a "goofball," or a "couch potato"? Let the shelter staff help you make the best match for your family.
• Stock up on supplies before you bring your new pet home—shelter staff can guide you on what to get at the pet supply store or supermarket.
Shelter Dog Blues Page 2