by Cynthia Lord
• Show younger children how to be kind to animals. Tell a grown-up immediately if you see anyone not treating an animal kindly or if you notice the animal is upset.
To make a dog bed like Suzannah makes in the story, you will need:
• Fleece fabric
• A simple flat pillow
• Scissors
• A ruler
• A piece of chalk
1. Use the ruler to measure your pillow. How many inches long and how many inches wide is it?
2. Now add eight inches to both the length and the width numbers. That’s how big to cut your fleece. You want the fleece to cover the pillow, plus have four inches of extra fleece all the way around the pillow.
3. Cut two pieces of fleece. These will become the top and bottom of the bed. If you cut the two pieces of fleece at the same time, they’ll line up perfectly.
4. Put the fleece you want for the bottom of the bed on top. Place the pillow perfectly in the middle, so you have four inches of extra fleece on each side.
5. Trace around the pillow with the chalk. This will show you how far up to cut fringe. Then remove the pillow.
6. Place the ruler along the edge of the fleece and make a little chalk mark at every inch along all four sides around the fleece.
7. Keeping the two pieces of fleece together, make a cut at every one-inch mark up to the chalk line. This will make fringe that is one-inch wide and four inches long. Do this around all four sides.
8. Cut off the four corners, where the fringe overlaps.
9. Take a piece of top fringe and bottom fringe and tie them together in a loose knot. Do this around three sides of the fleece.
10. Before you tie up the fourth side, place the pillow inside the fleece.
11. Tie up the fourth side.
Give it to your pet to enjoy!
To make a treat ball like Suzannah makes in the story, you will need:
• A plastic ball with holes in it
• Treats for small animals (shredded paper, hay, carrot and apple bits, sunflower seeds, nesting material, etc.)
• Sandpaper
1. Carefully check the plastic ball and all the holes for sharp edges. If you find any, use the sandpaper to make them smooth.
2. Stuff the ball with shredded paper, hay, and treats that little animals like.
3. Give it to your pet and watch him have fun.
4. If your animal starts to chew on the plastic ball, remove the ball.
A puppy can make a wonderful pet. Bringing a pet into your family is a big decision, though. Here are some questions your family should think about if your family is considering a puppy as a pet.
• Do you live in a place that allows dogs? Where will you walk and exercise your dog? Will anyone be disturbed by the dog’s barking?
• Do you have time for a dog? Will someone be home with the puppy during the day? A puppy needs training and companionship.
• Do you have enough money for a dog? Buying the dog is only the first expense. A dog will also need food, veterinary care, training, grooming (depending on the breed of dog), and supplies like bedding and toys.
• How will your family feel about messes? Puppies will have housebreaking accidents while they are learning. Puppies also may chew things that don’t belong to them. Most dogs shed or track mud into the house.
• Is anyone in your family allergic to fur?
• Are you willing to do some research before you bring a puppy home? Dogs come in many breeds and sizes. Each one has specific traits and needs. A companion breed will enjoy curling up next to you while you watch TV, but a working breed may get restless and want to be busy all the time. Finding a dog that matches your lifestyle is important for both of you.
• Is your family ready to train a dog? Dogs can learn many things, but they need everyone to be patient and to teach the same way. Are there puppy classes you can attend so you will learn how to teach your puppy what he needs to know? Bad habits like begging at the dinner table are easier to stop from the beginning than they will be to change later.
• Is there a baby or toddler in your family? Little children can do things that hurt or annoy dogs (hugging, pulling tails, etc.), and even patient dogs can get upset. Both dogs and small children need to be protected from harm. If there’s a baby or toddler in your family, it may be best to wait a while to bring a dog into your family.
• Are you willing to read books, watch videos, and attend classes to learn everything you will need to know to keep your pet safe and happy?
My family has had many pets. We’ve had gerbils, hamsters, frogs, fish, guinea pigs, rabbits, a cat, dogs, and mice. We didn’t have all those pets at the same time, but over the years, we’ve shared our home with all of them.
I also volunteer at my local animal shelter. One day, the manager of the shelter called me and asked if I could help with some Sato puppies that were arriving on a plane from Puerto Rico. Just like Suzannah, I didn’t know what that meant. So I went online and learned about Satos. I felt sad knowing that some of these puppies had been strays. Then I read about some organizations in Puerto Rico that help Satos. It made me happy to know there are people working hard to help.
When our Sato puppies arrived, they were all different. Some were big. Some were small. Some were black and brown. Some were tan and white. Some had long hair, and some had short hair. My favorite puppy was a tiny tan one named Happy. He wagged his tail and climbed into my lap. I really wanted to take him home! But our family already had a dog, two rabbits, and a guinea pig. That’s a good number of pets for us. So I helped care for the puppies, and I was glad when they were adopted.
I thought about Happy when I was writing this book. Just as for Paloma, Happy’s hard start was the beginning of his story. The middle part was all the people who helped him: the Sato organizations in Puerto Rico, the people at the airline, and everyone at my local shelter — including me. The best part of Happy’s story was the end, though. Just like Paloma, he has a new home with a family that loves him very much.
Happy got a happy ending.
You can learn more about me and see photos of the pets I have today at www.cynthialord.com.
—Cynthia Lord
I promise to be kind and gentle to all animals. I will make sure that any pets in my care are loved, comfortable, safe, and have enough food and water. If I want to approach a pet I don’t know, I will ask the owner first. When I am with an animal, I won’t only think about what I want. I will think about how that animal might feel and what he wants, too. I will do my part to make the world a better place for animals everywhere.
CYNTHIA LORD is the award-winning author of Rules, a Newbery Honor and Schneider Family Book Award winner, as well as the critically acclaimed novels Half a Chance and A Handful of Stars. She made her picture book debut with Hot Rod Hamster, which won several awards including the Parents' Choice Award, and followed it with the beloved sequels Happy Birthday, Hamster and Hot Rod Hamster Monster Truck Mania. She lives in Maine with her family and pets and is a regular volunteer at her local animal shelter. Visit her at www.cynthialord.com.
Copyright © 2016 by Cynthia Lord
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First printing 2016
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e-ISBN 978-0-545-63605-6
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