A Puppy Called Disaster Read online

  “PETS!” said Adam, after a moment’s thought.

  Mr. Petersen winked.

  It did take several trips. With Kitty and Dr. Goldman’s help, the Pet Rescue Club loaded the PETS with seven cats, nine dogs, two guinea pigs, one ferret, four chickens, one turtle, and Mango the snake. By early evening, all the pets had been delivered to the Big Red Pet Shelter, along with the kids’ sleeping bags and pillows.

  “Don’t forget the turtle!” yelled Zach, running to catch up.

  The Sleepover

  At first, Red and Lola seemed a little uneasy about having so many new neighbors in their barn. Red stamped his rear left hoof several times, and Lola stood as close to Red as she could get. But before long, all the animals settled down.

  There were lots of things that needed to be done. First, the kids brought in all the supplies they’d gathered. They organized them neatly in a corner of the barn. Then they fed and watered all the animals. Lolli took care of the horses for Mrs. Jamison, since she was used to caring for larger animals. Adam, the expert dog walker, walked several dogs at once, including the big yellow Lab they’d seen from the bus, a pair of huskies, and Mr. and Mrs. Witherspoon’s old dog, Rizzo. As the Pet Rescue Club had hoped, Mr. and Mrs. Witherspoon had agreed to go to the evacuation center at the high school once they knew that their dog would be cared for.

  “I’m on turtle care!” said Zach, standing beside the glass box that contained the turtle. He reached into the box and petted the turtle’s shell. “See? It’s a lot of work!”

  “You’re kidding, right?” said Janey.

  “Yeah, I guess he’s pretty chill,” Zach had to admit. “Or is he a she?”

  Janey made comfortable dog and cat beds from the moving blankets Mr. Teaberry had given them.

  Then they all helped to put the pets in their beds for the night.

  Mrs. Jamison was eager to use any food that might spoil in her refrigerator. She brought some frozen pizzas out to the barn and managed to cook them on the wood stove. As night fell, she lit glass hurricane lanterns.

  “It’s so cozy!” said Lolli, sitting on her unrolled sleeping bag. Everyone had brought sleeping bags and pillows to spend the night at the Big Red Pet Shelter.

  Lolli’s dad had offered to stay overnight in the barn. “I love a good campout,” said Mr. Simpson. He had even brought a ukulele, and as it got close to bedtime, he sang songs to comfort the restless animals, including “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” “Home on the Range,” and “Whip-poor-will in the Canyon.”

  “Just another service of the Pet Rescue Club,” said Zach. “Sing-along skills!”

  Janey was quiet and happy. Earlier in the day, she had decided she couldn’t leave little Disaster behind at the Third Street shelter. So she had taken the tiny puppy with her. Now she held Dizzy close. Soon Dizzy was fast asleep.

  One by one, Lolli, Zach, and Adam fell asleep in their sleeping bags. Then Janey heard soft snores coming from across the barn where Mr. Simpson slept.

  Only Janey stayed awake. She didn’t want to miss a minute of this special time with Dizzy. She listened to the gentle snufflings and snorts of the sleeping animals all around. She fought to keep her eyes open for as long as she could.

  But the next thing she knew, it was morning.

  It’s Raining Cats and Dogs

  The next day dawned clear and sunny, and Janey woke up smiling. Disaster yawned. His little pink mouth and pointy teeth and sweet breath were right in Janey’s face. Dizzy blinked. His brown eyes were alert and loving. She’d never been so happy in her life.

  “Good morning, Dizzy,” she whispered, stretching her legs to the bottom of her sleeping bag and wiggling her toes. The Big Red Pet Shelter was still quiet, though Janey could tell by gentle rustlings and quiet yips and soft meows that the pets were waking up all around the barn. Dizzy put out his little pink tongue and licked Janey’s nose.

  “Rise and shine!” came a singsong voice. It was Mrs. Jamison. “Good news,” she said, as everyone stirred in their sleeping bags. “Watch this!” And she switched on the big overhead lights.

  “The power’s back on!” said Adam, sitting up.

  “Finally, we can be normal and fire up the laptop,” said Zach, breathing a sigh of relief. He really did not like to be far from a working computer at any time. “The past couple of days have been nuts.”

  “And that’s not all. I have even more good news,” said Mrs. Jamison. “The sooner you get all these critters taken care of, the sooner you can come inside for a hot breakfast. Pancakes!”

  Mr. Simpson was checking the chickens. He held up his findings in both hands. “And eggs!” he said.

  Everyone cheered and got to work feeding and watering the pets. Once again, Adam took several dogs out at once. Zach took Rizzo and the two huskies, but he got their leashes all tangled up.

  “Turtles are a lot easier to walk,” Zach said, turning in circles to unwind a leash from his ankle.

  While they ate the delicious breakfast Mrs. Jamison had made, Janey plugged in her laptop to charge. Then the Pet Rescue Club got back to work. This time, they used technology.

  “Phew,” said Zach. “The Internet service is back on!”

  They went out to the barn and took a picture of each dog and cat, the guinea pigs, the chickens, the ferret, the corn snake, and the turtle. Then, back inside at Mrs. Jamison’s kitchen table, they posted the pictures on their blog, Janey’s Pet Place.

  “Those are excellent photos,” said Mrs. Jamison. “Every one of those pets could be a pet fashion model,” she joked.

  “Now we wait for the people to come and claim their pets,” said Adam.

  But there was one pet picture missing. “Janey, what about Dizzy?” Lolli said. “His picture isn’t here.”

  Janey shifted in her chair. “Oh, I guess I forgot,” she said.

  “You want Dizzy’s person to find him, don’t you?” Lolli asked. She shot a look at Janey. “Whoever it is must be worried sick!”

  Zach held up the digital camera. “Smile and say kibble, Dizzy!” he said. Janey held Dizzy out so that Zach could take the picture.

  Janey had not exactly “forgotten” to post a picture of the tiny puppy. She had to admit it. She would be happy if Dizzy’s person never came to take him away.

  Janey fought back tears as she posted the picture on the blog. She almost wished the photo wasn’t so cute. With his now-bright eyes and that sweet, sweet face, Dizzy’s person was sure to come running to claim him.

  Janey wanted what was best for Dizzy. But she’d already started thinking of the little puppy as her own, somehow. Maybe what was best for Dizzy would be to live at the Third Street Animal Shelter forever and ever. There, she could visit him every day, just as if he really did belong to her. She closed the laptop. She felt guilty about it, but part of her hoped that Dizzy’s person would never see that adorable picture.

  A little later in the morning, Dr. Goldman visited the Big Red Pet Shelter to check on the pets there. She reported that people in town had begun to go back to their houses. Huge, blue tarps covered up holes in roofs like the one at Adam’s house. Workers had cleared away the worst of the debris. Phone and Internet services had been restored. Everyone was feeling like things were returning to normal.

  Janey made another post on the blog to thank everyone, including business owners, like Ms. Winkins at the hardware store and Mr. Teaberry at the furniture shop, for their generous donations of supplies. Those same business owners put up signs in their stores to let the town know that people could be reunited with their pets at either the Third Street Animal Shelter or the Big Red Pet Shelter. Before noon, the first person found his way to Mrs. Jamison’s barn.

  “Hello, it’s going to be a beautiful day in the valley today,” said the man. He ran a hand over his smooth, close-cropped hair and smiled broadly with a lot of perfect white teeth.

  Mrs. Jamison squinted at him. “Aren’t you . . .” she began.

  “Yes!” the man said.
He stuck out his hand to shake Mrs. Jamison’s. “Bob Broad, channel seven chief meteorologist. I lost my cat, Puddles, in the weather event.”

  Lolli invited Bob Broad into the barn to see if Puddles was there. Mr. Broad peered into each pet carrier and crate. In the very last one, there was a small gray kitty. “Puddles!” said Mr. Broad. He scooped the cat up in his arms. Puddles’ purring could be heard all over the barn.

  “How can I ever thank you for rescuing and sheltering my cat?” Mr. Broad asked, scratching Puddles behind the ears. She purred even louder. “I know!” he went on. “How about you kids come on the news tonight? All the world will know about your heroic efforts!” Mr. Broad grinned. “Well, the local broadcast area will, anyway. We’ll tell people who are missing their pets to come and look for them here.”

  Janey could hardly believe it. Everyone’s parents talked together and agreed to allow Janey, Lolli, Adam, and Zach appear on TV. That night on the six o’clock news, chief meteorologist Bob Broad made an announcement. “The tornado may be over, but at a local pet shelter, it’s raining cats and dogs! Isn’t that right, Janey Whitfield?” he said, turning to Janey.

  “Yes,” said Janey, who had been elected by the Pet Rescue Club to speak for them. “Plus chickens, guinea pigs, a corn snake, and a ferret,” she added. Zach jabbed her in the ribs. “And a turtle,” she said.

  Bob Broad faced the camera and smiled. “You heard it here, folks!” he declared. “If you and your pet have been separated, like me and my cat Puddles were, just look on the Janey’s Pet Place blog to find out if your loved one is being cared for at the Pet Rescue Club’s temporary shelter, the Big Red Pet Shelter! And please support your local pet shelter, the Third Street Animal Shelter. Give generously!”

  And, because everyone in the local broadcast area had recently gotten back their electricity, people were so happy to be able to watch the news again. A record number of viewers had their television sets turned on that evening to see Bob Broad’s piece about the Pet Rescue Club and the Big Red Pet Shelter.

  Jojo!

  The next day, people came to the barn bright and early.

  The first one to arrive was the man Adam had met at the high school’s evacuation center. When he caught sight of Adam, he waved.

  “Hey, I saw you on TV last night,” he said. “I said to myself, that’s the boy I was telling about Jojo!” The man put his hands together as if he might be praying. “Please tell me Jojo’s here,” he said. “I’ve been sick about losing my best pal. When I saw you on TV, that’s when I started hoping again.”

  “Come in and have a look,” said Adam. “I hope Jojo’s here, too.”

  Inside the barn, Zach was getting ready to take the two huskies and the yellow Lab for a walk. He had the three dogs on leashes.

  “Jojo!” the man cried when he spotted the big yellow Lab. He dropped to his knees and opened his arms wide. Jojo pulled on his leash, then suddenly broke free. Zach’s feet went out from under him and he landed on the barn floor.

  “Whoa!” Zach hollered. “You’d think he couldn’t wait to get away from me,” he muttered, as Adam took the huskies’ leashes from him. “It’s not like I’ve been taking care of that dog around the clock for two days straight or anything,” he joked. “Ow,” he said, rubbing an elbow where he’d fallen. “Dogs can be painfully loyal.”

  Meanwhile, Jojo ran into the man’s arms so fast, he knocked him over. The man tumbled onto one side, laughing.

  “It’s like Jojo’s bowling!” said Zach.

  Zach and the man got to their feet and brushed themselves off. “Thank you for taking care of my best friend,” the man said. “Jojo’s collar had a tag with my name, address, and phone numbers on it. But the tag is missing. Somehow it must have gotten loose and came off.” He bent and hugged Jojo again.

  “It might be time to microchip Jojo,” suggested Dr. Goldman. The vet had come to check on the animals, and also to check on Zach. “A microchip is as small as a grain of rice,” she explained, “and it has an identification number on it. When you microchip your pet, you get the number and register your pet’s name and your address and contact information with the microchip company. That way,” she went on, “if a pet gets lost, when it’s found, a quick scan of the chip will help reunite the pet with its owners. It’s similar to scanning a grocery store item, but it’s a different system.”

  “The chip always goes between the pet’s shoulder blades,” Zach chimed in. “That makes it easy to find and read. It’s amazing technology. And the chip can’t be lost, like a tag.”

  “All right, I’m sold,” Jojo’s person said with a laugh. After gladly making a donation to the Third Street Animal Shelter, he and Jojo hopped into his car. He honked and waved as he drove away. Jojo stuck his head out the window to bark good-bye.

  Soon a car with an elderly couple pulled up to the barn.

  “Hello,” said the man. “We are George and Martha Witherspoon, and we—”

  “Rizzo!” Lolli broke in. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said sheepishly.

  Mr. and Mrs. Witherspoon’s faces lit up. “Yes, that’s right,” said Mrs. Witherspoon, smiling. “Rizzo is our dog. May we see him?”

  “Of course!” said Janey. She ran inside the barn and came back out with the old dog.

  Rizzo knew better than to jump on his elderly people, but he wagged his tail like crazy and smiled the way dogs do.

  “Thank you for taking such good care of him,” said Mr. Witherspoon. “I’m afraid we can’t return to our house just yet. We only came out here for a visit. That is, we were hoping Rizzo could stay here for a few more days,” Mr. Witherspoon said. He scratched Rizzo’s back as he spoke, smiling all the while. Rizzo closed his eyes and leaned into Mr. Witherspoon’s leg.

  “Certainly,” said Mrs. Jamison. “I’d be more than happy to keep Rizzo here for as long as you wish. He’s an excellent guest, and he seems to get along very nicely with Red and Lola.”

  “That’s very nice to hear,” said Mrs. Witherspoon. “What kind of dogs are they?”

  Everyone laughed.

  “They’re horses, actually,” Mrs. Jamison explained.

  Shortly after Mr. and Mrs. Witherspoon drove away, a woman and her sons came and claimed the pair of huskies. “They got out of the backyard when a tree fell on the fence and took it down,” she said. Her two little boys buried their faces in the huskies’ thick fur. “Everything happened pretty fast,” she said, shaking her head. “I was at work, and the boys were with my mother. I just couldn’t make it home in time.” She watched her little boys playing with the dogs, a small smile on her face. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I’m very grateful.”

  In the next few hours, all the cats were claimed. Someone came looking for Mango the snake. The ferret belonged to a tall, skinny man named Bert. Mrs. Brick collected her chickens. By the end of the day only Rizzo, the guinea pigs, the turtle, and a puppy called Disaster remained.

  Dizzy

  Several more days passed. The landlord patched the roof of Adam’s house. He and his parents and sister moved back home.

  “Too bad you can’t see the stars from your bed anymore,” said Zach. “That was cool.”

  Almost all the shelter pets had been claimed. The guinea pigs’ person had turned out to be a woman who had a twin sister. She said she had always had pets in pairs.

  And school had started up again. The four members of the Pet Rescue Club were seated in the cafeteria, having a lunchtime meeting.

  Janey had another large cookie. She divided it and handed out the pieces to her friends.

  “Oh, great,” said Zach, eyeing the cookie wrapper and the dome-shaped, pink coconut cookie. “This one’s called a Snowball. We’re probably in for a blizzard.”

  Janey saved the banana part of her lunch for later. The Third Street Animal Shelter was only a few blocks from school, and Janey’s parents had given her permission to walk straight there each day after school. She often got hungry late in the afternoon,
and she liked to have a snack.

  Janey bit into her cookie. She knew she should care that nobody had come looking for Dizzy. She knew that someone must be missing that little pup. But that person could not love Dizzy more than Janey did. It had been wonderful to be able to visit the puppy every day after school now that he and the turtle had been moved from the Big Red Pet Shelter to the Third Street shelter. It was almost like having a puppy of her own.

  Every day, she helped Kitty for a while and then played with Dizzy and held him. Sometimes she even did her homework at the shelter. That way, she could stay longer with “her” dog.

  “Maybe no one will ever come to claim him,” she said to her friends. “Maybe he can live at the Third Street Animal Shelter forever.” She doodled a tiny puppy on her paper napkin. “That way he would sort of belong to me.”

  Lolli and Adam shared a worried look.

  “Maybe,” said Lolli, doubtfully.

  “You can always hope,” said Adam.

  “Fat chance,” said Zach.

  Janey ignored them all.

  A couple of days later, a young woman came into the Third Street Animal Shelter. Lolli, Adam, and Zach had walked with Janey to the shelter after school. Janey had just put Dizzy into his cozy little crate in the dog room. It was almost time to go home.

  “How can we help you?” asked Kitty.

  The woman looked sad. Her eyes were red-rimmed. “I guess I’d like to adopt a dog,” she said. She took a tissue from her bag and blew her nose. “Is it too late to do that today?”

  “Not at all,” Kitty said. “Please sit down, and we’ll talk.” Kitty led the woman into the Meet-and-Greet room. “I’m Kitty, and these are my Pet Rescue Club friends. They’ve been helping me count my supplies and make a list of what we need.”