Free Muttley by Ellen Miles

CHAPTER ONE
    “This way, everybody!” Lizzie Peterson waved a hand, feeling like a real tour guide. She enjoyed showing people around the animal shelter where she volunteered. Lizzie had been helping out at Caring Paws, a place for dogs and cats who needed homes, for over a year. She loved the work, because she loved animals — especially dogs. Her usual day was Saturday, when she would spend all afternoon walking dogs, cleaning kitty-litter boxes, and doing whatever else Ms. Dobbins, the shelter’s director, asked her to do.
    Lizzie worked hard, but there was always more work to do at the shelter. That was why Lizzie had started the Caring Club, for people who wanted to help animals.
    Lizzie’s best friend, Maria, had joined the club right away, and she had recently become a shelter volunteer, too. Now Daphne and Brianna, who were both in Lizzie’s class at school, wanted to join the club. That was why Lizzie was showing them around the shelter.
    Daphne and Brianna had a lot to learn if they were going to become shelter volunteers. Ms. Dobbins would be their official trainer, but she had asked Lizzie to give them a tour on their first visit. Lizzie had spent so much time at Caring Paws that she knew every inch of the place by heart. It was fun to give a tour, especially because Maria had come along, too.
    “And this is the cat room,” Lizzie said now, as she stopped in front of a big picture window.
    “Duh,” said Daphne. She nudged Brianna. Brianna giggled. “Like I couldn’t have figured that out for myself,” Daphne added in a whisper.
    Lizzie glared at Daphne. Okay, so maybe it was kind of obvious. They were standing in a hallwayof an animal shelter, looking through a window at a roomful of cats: black cats and orange cats, long-haired cats and skinny cats, fat cats and six-toed cats, scampering kittens and calm mama cats, and one big old gray tomcat named Tommy, who always claimed the top lounging shelf. So yes, the room was crawling with cats. Anyone could see that it must be the cat room. But Lizzie was just trying to give a tour, the way Ms. Dobbins had asked. Daphne was not exactly Lizzie’s favorite person, but Lizzie knew that the shelter needed all the help it could get.
    Lizzie was happy to have more Caring Club members, since the club was pretty small so far. Lizzie’s younger brother Charles was a member, and so was their mom. Their dad was too busy as a firefighter, and the Bean, Lizzie’s other brother (whose real name was Adam), was too little.
    All the Petersons loved animals. They loved them so much that they had become a foster family for puppies. That meant they took care ofpuppies who needed homes, just until they found each one the perfect forever family.
    The Petersons had lots of experience with all kinds of puppies. But the puppy they loved best was Buddy, a little brown-and-white dog. Buddy had started out as a foster puppy but he ended up becoming part of the Peterson family. Lizzie had first met Buddy when he arrived at Caring Paws along with his mother and two other puppies.
    Now, at the shelter, Lizzie smiled. Just the thought of Buddy made her heart melt. Had there ever been a cuter, sweeter puppy? She loved to stroke the heart-shaped white patch on his chest and whisper secrets into his silky ears.
    “Lizzie.” Maria stuck an elbow into Lizzie’s side. “Weren’t you showing Daphne and Brianna the cat room?”
    Oops.
Lizzie blinked.
Right.
She was in the middle of showing her classmates around. “Yes,” she said. “So, the cat room. Lots to do in there, like cleaning out litter boxes, making sure thewater dishes are full of clean water, and helping out at feeding time. And sometimes I help hold the cats when the vet is giving them shots.”
    “My cat Jenny scratches when she’s at the vet,” said Daphne, “but —”
    “If you wrap them up in a towel, that usually helps,” Lizzie said. “They can’t scratch you then.” She led her group down the hall, toward