A New Home for Truman

by Catherine Hapka

  “Oh! I thought posting the picture would be enough,” she said. “I really want someone to rescue that poor dog.”

  “Then tell us where he is!” Janey urged. “We won’t tell anyone you told us.”

  “Okay.” Vanessa described where she’d seen the dog. It was a rural area on the opposite side of town from Lolli’s farm. “I really hope you can help him,” Vanessa added as Ms. Tanaka headed over to shoo Janey and her classmates inside. “No dog should have to live like that.”

  Truman is Safe!

  “They got him!” Janey cried, bursting out of the school’s main office.

  It was the next afternoon. Mr. Wells had dismissed the class a few minutes earlier. Janey had run straight to the office so she could use the phone there to call the shelter.

  “Hip hip hooray!” Lolli cheered, jumping up and down. “What did Kitty say?”

  “The animal control officer went out yesterday and talked to the dog’s owners,” Janey said. She and Lolli wandered down the hall toward the school exit. “They agreed to give the dog to the shelter. He’s there now!”

  “We should go see him!” Lolli grabbed Janey’s arm. “Let’s call home and see if our parents will let us walk over to the shelter.”

  They turned around and rushed back to the office. They got there at the same time as Ms. Tanaka.

  “Everything okay, girls?” the teacher asked.

  “Yes,” Janey replied. “We just need to use the phone.”

  Ms. Tanaka nodded and held the door open for them. Then the teacher went to check her office mail cubby as the girls headed toward the desk to ask the secretary for permission to use the phone.

  “You can call first,” Janey told Lolli.

  Lolli’s father gave permission right away. But when Janey called home, her mother sounded reluctant. “Maybe you should come home first,” she said. “I can drive you and Lolli to the shelter.”

  “Please, Mom. We don’t want to wait that long. Besides, the shelter is only a few blocks from school,” Janey said. “Lolli’s parents already said yes.”

  “That’s right, Mrs. Whitfield,” Lolli said, leaning over Janey’s shoulder to talk into the phone. “We’ll be careful, we promise!”

  “Did I hear you girls say you’re going to the Third Street Shelter?” Ms. Tanaka asked, walking over.

  “Maybe,” Janey said. “If I can talk my mom into saying yes.”

  Ms. Tanaka smiled. “If it helps, you can tell her I’ll walk there with you,” she offered. “I was thinking about heading over there myself.”

  Her offer did help. Janey’s mother finally said it was okay. Soon Janey, Lolli, and Ms. Tanaka were walking down the sidewalk toward Third Street.

  “Why are you going to the shelter?” Lolli asked her teacher.

  Ms. Tanaka chuckled. “Actually, you guys inspired me. I just moved to a new apartment last month, and this one allows pets. I’ve been thinking about getting a dog, and hearing you talk about the shelter made me decide it’s time to start looking for the perfect best friend.”

  “That’s awesome!” For a second, Janey was envious. It seemed everyone could have a pet except her! Then she had a great idea. “I know—you should adopt the dog we saved!”

  “Hmm. I like the idea of rescuing a dog that really needs me.” Ms. Tanaka sounded interested. “What does he look like?”

  Janey showed her the picture from her blog. “He looks kind of bad here,” she said. “But I bet all he needs is a good brushing and some food and he’ll be supercute!”

  “Oh, he’s cute—but awfully small. I was thinking about a bigger dog.” Ms. Tanaka smiled. “See, I had horses growing up, so I’m used to big pets. A really huge dog is the next best thing to a horse!”

  Lolli laughed, while Janey smiled weakly. “Are you sure you don’t want him?” she asked.

  “Sorry.” Ms. Tanaka patted her arm. “But don’t worry—your dog is adorable. I’m sure he’ll find a home fast.”

  When they reached the shelter, Ms. Tanaka said good-bye and headed into the dog room. Meanwhile, Kitty rushed over to greet the girls.

  “I’m so glad you came!” she said. “Stay right here, and I’ll go get Truman so he can thank you in person!”

  “Truman?” Janey echoed.

  “That’s the dog you saved. He’s a real sweetie.” Kitty smiled. “Be right back.”

  Moments later she returned with a dog on a leash. Janey barely recognized him from his picture! Someone had given him a bath, brushed the tangles out of his silky fur, and trimmed the hair on his ears and paws.

  Janey had memorized every breed from her dog books, and she thought Truman looked as if he might be a cross between a schnauzer and a shih tzu. Whatever he was, he was one of the cutest dogs she’d ever seen!

  “Oh, you’re so adorable!” she cried, reaching for him.

  Truman ducked away from her touch, but he wagged his short tail and pricked up his ears with curiosity. “You’ll have to take it easy and be patient with him,” Kitty advised. “He’s still a little shy. But he’s very sweet once he trusts you. Come on—let’s hang out in the Meet and Greet room so you can all get to know each other.”

  They all went into the small room. Truman sniffed everything carefully, then flopped down on one of the beanbag chairs. Meanwhile Kitty told the girls what the animal officer had found out.

  “Truman belonged to an elderly man who adored him,” she said. “Then the owner died, and Truman went to live with the man’s relatives. But one of the kids in the house was allergic.”

  “Just like Janey’s dad,” Lolli said.

  Janey nodded. “The family stuck him outside and kind of forgot about him, I guess. One of the other kids was supposed to feed him and give him water but he didn’t always remember.”

  Janey clenched her fists. “How could anyone be so horrible?” she exclaimed. “Especially with a sweet dog like Truman!”

  “Try not to think about it,” Lolli advised. “He’s safe now, and I’m sure somebody great will adopt him.”

  “I wish I could adopt him,” Janey said.

  Lolli gave her a sympathetic smile. “Try not to think about that, either.”

  Janey tried. For the next hour, she and Lolli stayed with Truman. He was shy at first, but eventually he seemed to decide the girls were okay. After that, they could hardly get him to stop playing!

  Janey was disappointed when her mother arrived to pick them up. “We’ll come visit you again soon, Truman,” she promised the little dog.

  “Right,” Lolli agreed. “Unless someone adopts you before that!”

  “I’m sure it won’t take long.” Janey smiled and rubbed Truman’s silky ears. She giggled as the little dog licked her from her chin to her forehead. “Who could resist a face—or a tongue—like that?”

  Still Waiting

  “Did you call the shelter last night?” Lolli asked when Janey walked into school on Thursday morning.

  Janey nodded and sighed. “He’s still there.”

  “I don’t get it.” Lolli leaned against the wall of cubbies, watching as Janey put her stuff away. “Truman is such a great dog! Why doesn’t anyone want to take him home?”

  “I have no idea.” Janey was about to put her tablet in the cubby with the rest of her things. Then she stopped and stared at it. “But I just thought of something. My blog was what saved Truman, right? Maybe it can also help him find the perfect home!”

  “What do you mean?” Lolli asked.

  Janey was already logging on to the Internet. “I’m going to post an update about Truman. Lots of people saw the picture of him on my blog.”

  “That’s true,” Lolli agreed. “You got tons of comments about how horrible he looked.”

  “So now I’ll tell everyone he’s safe and looking for a home.” Janey typed quickly, describing how the animal officer had saved Truman. She added that the little dog was at the shelter waiting for an adopter to come and take him home.

  Lolli watched over h
er shoulder. “Don’t forget to mention how cute he looks now that he’s healthy and clean,” she suggested.

  Janey nodded. She wished she’d taken pictures of Truman at the shelter. Maybe she could get some later. But her words would have to do for now.

  “There!” she said, hitting the key to post the blurb. “That should do the trick.”

  But when Janey called the shelter again on Saturday, Kitty told her that Truman was still there.

  “Your ad did work, though,” Kitty added. “Sort of, anyway. Three different people came in looking for Truman because they’d seen him on your blog.”

  “Really? Then why is he still there?” Janey asked.

  “They all decided he wasn’t quite right for them,” Kitty said. “They all chose different dogs instead.”

  “Oh.” Janey sighed. “Oh, well, lots of people come to get new pets on the weekend, right? Someone will probably take him home soon. Lolli and I will be right over—we want to see him again before he finds his new owners.”

  Soon the two friends were at the shelter playing with Truman. A family was in the Meet and Greet room getting to know a few of the shelter’s cats, so the girls tossed a rubber bone for Truman in the wide, rubber-paved aisle of the dog room. There were dogs in the runs on either side of the aisle, but Truman paid little attention to them, staying focused on the girls.

  “Good boy!” Janey exclaimed when Truman pounced on the bone and then brought it back to her. “You already know how to fetch!”

  “He’s supersmart.” said Lolli as she ruffled Truman’s ears. “Aren’t you, boy?”

  Just then the door to the dog room opened. Kitty walked in, followed by a nicely dressed man and woman and a five-year-old boy.

  “Excuse me, girls,” Kitty said. “This lovely family has come to see Truman.”

  “That’s right.” The mother had a nice smile. “Are you Janey? We saw what you wrote about Truman on your blog, and we just had to meet him!”

  Her husband nodded. “We were planning to get a dog this weekend anyway, and we think Truman might be perfect. Is that him?”

  “Yes, this is Truman.” Janey saw that Truman was backing away from the man. “Um, he’s a little shy with new people.”

  “He’s cute! Here, Truman!” The little boy rushed toward Truman, who quickly sidled out of reach.

  “Slow down, son,” his father called. “You don’t want to startle him.”

  He strode over and grabbed Truman before the little dog could get away. “Careful,” Kitty warned. “He’s still getting used to things here, and…”

  “Easy, fella! We just want to pet you, that’s all.” The man hugged Truman to his chest. Truman struggled against his grip, looking anxious.

  “Why don’t you let me hold him for you?” Janey said quickly. “He knows me, so that will help him relax.”

  “Ow!” the man said as Truman scrabbled against his chest, looking frantic now. “Oh, no! He just put a hole in my new shirt!”

  He set Truman down and peered down at his golf shirt. Truman darted behind Janey and pressed himself against her legs. She could feel him trembling.

  “It’s just a shirt, Steve,” the man’s wife said, rolling her eyes. “But perhaps Truman isn’t quite right for us after all. We don’t want a dog we need to tiptoe around.”

  The little boy already seemed to have forgotten all about Truman. He was over by one of the runs, reaching in to pet a friendly hound mix.

  “I want this one!” he cried. “Look—he likes me!”

  “Can we meet that one?” the man asked Kitty. “He seems like a good family dog.”

  Kitty shot Truman an anxious glance. “Sure, let’s take him over to the Meet and Greet,” she said. “I think the cats are out of there now.”

  As soon as the family had disappeared, along with Kitty and the hound mix, Truman came out of hiding. He grabbed the rubber bone and dropped it at Lolli’s feet, wagging his tail.

  Janey sighed. “Oh, Truman,” she said, kneeling down to give the dog a hug. “You’re such a sweetie pie. Why can’t anyone but us see that?”

  A Plan for Truman

  A little while later, Kitty returned. “Well, at least Chance found a new home,” she said, gesturing at the empty run where the hound mix had been. “That family loved him, and it was totally mutual. I think it’s a great match.” She bent to pat Truman, who was sniffing at her shoe. “I just wish this little guy would find his perfect match.”

  “Me, too,” Janey said. “I can’t believe nobody wants him!”

  Kitty sighed. “I know. Poor Truman was just a little too shy or a little too untrained for all the people who were interested in him so far.”

  Just then the door opened again. Zach burst into the dog room, followed by his mother. “Yo, Truman!” Zach exclaimed loudly when he spotted the dog. “Are these girls bothering you, little guy?”

  He rushed over to the dog. Janey expected Truman to try to get away, but instead he barked and jumped up on Zach’s legs. Zach laughed and rubbed Truman’s ears.

  “Hey, he’s being friendly now,” Lolli said.

  “Sure he is, he’s my buddy.” Zach grabbed the rubber bone and tossed it. Truman barked and leaped off to retrieve it.

  Dr. Goldman chuckled. “Don’t even think about asking again to take him home,” she warned Zach. She glanced at the girls. “Zach was with me when I did Truman’s intake checkup and shots the other day. As you can see, the two of them hit it off.”

  “Is that why you two stopped by?” Kitty asked the vet with a grin. “To adopt Truman?”

  “Actually, I stopped by to take that new cat’s stitches out. Seeing Truman is a bonus, but I’m afraid we can’t take him home. We already have a cat, which is about all I can handle with four boys, a busy vet practice, and an absentminded husband who gets so caught up in his work that he’s not likely to remember to walk a dog unless it’s actually piddling on his foot.” She smiled at Janey and Lolli. “Is one of you thinking about adopting Truman?”

  “Our parents won’t let us take him home, either,” Janey said. “And nobody else seems interested, even though he’s so fab!”

  “Poor Truman.” Lolli patted Truman as he trotted past with the rubber bone. “He just needs someone who understands him.”

  “Maybe.” Dr. Goldman pushed Truman down gently as he dropped the bone, barked, and jumped up on her legs. “But he could also use a little training and socializing to make him more adoptable.”

  “What do you mean?” Janey asked.

  “He’s a nice dog,” the vet said. “But some adopters might not be able to see the diamond in the rough the way we can.” She smiled at Janey and Lolli. “If you girls want to help him find a home, maybe you can work with him a little. Teach him a few basic commands, and get him more used to being around people.”

  “We can do that!” Janey felt a surge of hope. “Right, Lolli?”

  “Definitely!” Lolli agreed.

  “Yeah,” Zach put in. “I can help if you want.”

  “Thanks, but that’s okay,” Janey told him. “We’ve got it covered. Come on Lolli, let’s start right now!”

  Kitty smiled apologetically. “Actually, you’ll need to get your parents to sign our volunteer form before you can do any real training or take him for walks outside,” she said. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t even have let you spend all this time with him before doing that.”

  Janey frowned, feeling impatient. But Lolli nodded. “We can do that,” she said. “We were planning to ask about volunteering here anyway, and both our parents already said it was okay, so I’m sure they’ll sign. I’ll call my mom to come get us, and then we’ll be back as soon as we have the forms filled out and signed.”

  “You girls are lucky that this shelter lets kids volunteer,” Dr. Goldman told them with a smile. “I would’ve loved to get involved like that as a kid, but the shelter in the town where I grew up only allows people over eighteen to handle the animals.”

  “Not he
re,” Kitty said cheerfully. “We’ve found that younger kids are great with the animals! Come on, girls—let’s get you those forms.”

  Over the next week, Janey went to the shelter as often as she could to work with Truman. Lolli usually came, too. Even Adam took some time out of his busy dog-walking schedule to show the girls some training techniques. Janey knew that Adam had worked with lots of dogs, but she was impressed by how quickly he taught Truman the commands for sit, stay, come, and heel.

  Truman seemed to enjoy all the attention. After a few days, Kitty reported that he was already acting friendlier with people—even ones he didn’t know.

  “He’s a fast learner,” she said as she watched Truman follow Janey around the lobby on Friday afternoon, staying right at her heel. “And you kids are great teachers! I bet he’ll find his new family before long.”

  “I sure hope you’re right. Sit, Truman!” Janey beamed as the little dog lowered his haunches to the floor. “Good boy!”

  A Perfect Pair?

  “I wish we didn’t have to take him back to the shelter,” Janey said as she turned the corner onto Third Street. It was early Sunday afternoon and she, Lolli, and Adam had just helped Kitty take Truman to the town park for a walk. The little dog had behaved perfectly, walking politely on his leash, letting several strangers pet him, and even standing quietly while a woman pushed a screaming baby past in a stroller.

  “We shouldn’t keep him out too long, though,” Adam pointed out. “Lots of people come to the shelter on Sundays.”

  “That’s right.” Kitty gave a gentle tug on Truman’s leash as he stopped to sniff at a leaf on the sidewalk. “We don’t want him to miss being seen by his perfect adopter.”

  “True.” Janey felt a pang of sadness. Even though they were all working hard to make Truman more adoptable, she hated to think that she might not get to see him anymore once he went to his new home.