Free Muttley by Ellen Miles Page A

the dog room. “Ready to meet the dogs?”
    Behind her, she heard Daphne whisper to Brianna, “That’s just what I was about to say. We always wrap Jenny in a towel.”
    Lizzie knew she should probably be glad that Daphne knew a few things about caring for animals. But she was the one giving the tour, wasn’t she? Maybe Daphne should do more listening and less talking.
    “Do I hear Greta barking?” Maria asked. “She must be ready for her walk.”
    “Yeah, that’s Greta, all right,” said Lizzie. “She knows it’s time to go out.”
    “I’ll walk her,” said Daphne. “Where’s her leash?”
    “Well, Greta can be a handful,” Lizzie began. “She’s —”
    “I can handle a handful,” Daphne said. “Just show me to her cage.”
    “We call them kennels,” Lizzie said as she pushed open the door to the dog room. “And Greta’s in number one.” She had to shout to be heard over the barking that had started the second they’d entered the dog room. All the dogs loved to greet new visitors. Lizzie pointed to the hand-painted NUMBER ONE sign on the very first kennel they came to. A special heavy-weight leash hung from the clip on the door.
    Daphne looked into Greta’s kennel. Then she looked at Lizzie.
    Lizzie smiled. “Still want to take her for a walk?” she asked.
    Greta was the biggest dog ever to stay atCaring Paws. She was a bullmastiff, with a tawny golden brown coat and black markings on her huge, sweet, drooly face. Greta was gigantic. If Greta stood on her hind legs, she would be taller than Lizzie. She would probably be taller than Lizzie’s dad.
    Lizzie saw Daphne gulp.
    Then Daphne shrugged. “Sure,” she said. “Why not?”
    Lizzie shrugged, too. “Okay, then,” she said. Daphne could find out for herself how hard it could be to handle Greta. Lizzie checked that the main door to the dog room was closed. “Open her kennel door just enough to get the leash clipped on. Then take her down the aisle and out that way.” She pointed to the door that opened into the outside pen.
    Daphne squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. Then she unhooked the leash and flipped up the latch on Greta’s kennel. Slipping a handinside, she clipped the leash onto Greta’s collar. Then she looked up at Lizzie and grinned. “No problem,” she said.
    “Open the door slowly!” Lizzie warned. Then she watched as Greta shoved her way out of the kennel and dragged Daphne down the aisle, barreling along like an airplane speeding down a runway.
    “Aaaaah!” yelled Daphne as she dashed along after Greta, hanging on for dear life.
    Lizzie held back a laugh and looked at Maria. Maria shook her head at Lizzie. Lizzie knew what Maria was thinking. Lizzie probably should have told Daphne that Greta did not know how to walk on a leash without pulling with the strength of an ox.
    Ten minutes later, as Lizzie was showing Brianna how to wash out the dogs’ water bowls, Greta towed Daphne back inside. The knees of Daphne’s jeans were covered in mud, her jacketsleeve was torn, and her hair was tousled and tangled.
    “Isn’t Greta terrific?” Lizzie asked as she opened the big dog’s kennel door for Daphne.
    “Terrific,” said Daphne. “Just terrific.” She brushed the mud from her knees. “Who’s next?”
    Hmmm.
Lizzie realized that Daphne was not going to admit that Greta had been too much for her. Well, she had another challenge for her, then. It was important to make sure that the new volunteers could handle anything. “A much quieter dog,” she said. “A puppy, actually. His name is Muttley.”

CHAPTER TWO
    While Maria helped Brianna get another dog ready for a walk, Lizzie led Daphne down to kennel number four.
    “This is Muttley,” she said. Inside the kennel, a tan-and-brown puppy lay curled up on his green bed. He had floppy ears, a black nose, and cute, brown eyebrow-shaped markings above his eyes.
    “He’s cute,” said Daphne. “Hi, Muttley.”
    Muttley opened one brown eye to