Free Bella by Ellen Miles Page A

at the pile and beamed. Right out in front she saw the fifty-pound bag of dog food she and her mom had lugged in, and a cat carrier that Brianna had brought. Daphne had contributed some brand-new dog toys, and Noah had saved up his allowance to buy ten leashes and collars.Jimmy and Daniel had chipped in for a new cat tower, and Shanna and her dad had brought five cases of canned cat food.
    “And I especially thank Maria, for having her birthday here,” Ms. Dobbins finished. “Most kids would rather have presents for themselves, but this shows that you really do care about animals.”
    Maria smiled. “I like presents, too,” she said. “But I’ll get some from my family.”
    Lizzie happened to know that Maria would also be getting a very cool pair of purple and green striped socks. She’d bought them yesterday, along with a matching pair for herself, and planned to give them to Maria on Monday, her real birthday.
    “Ms. Dobbins! Ms. Dobbins!” Someone yelled from the front desk. “She’s here!”
    “Oops, better go!” said Ms. Dobbins. “We’ve got a bit of an emergency on our hands. But have a great time — and save me a piece of cake!”
    Lizzie wondered what was going on. What kind of emergency was it? Was one of the animals sick? “She’s here!” could mean that the vet, Dr. Gibson, had arrived. Or maybe it was Jan the plumber, if the dog-washing sink was stopped up again. Or had a cat escaped from the cat room and been caught near the front desk? Should she go help?
    No, Ms. Dobbins seemed to be on top of things. Lizzie turned her attention back to the party. Once the singing and cake part was over, it would be time for games. Lizzie couldn’t wait for the animal-themed treasure hunt she and Maria had planned.
    When the party was over, and Maria’s father had picked her and her mom up to take them to her grandparents’ house for a birthday dinner, Lizzie finally had the chance to ask Ms. Dobbins about the emergency. “What happened?” she asked.
    “We had a very special new arrival,” said Ms. Dobbins. She put her finger over her lips as she cracked open the door to her office so Lizzie could peek inside. “Shhh! She’s asleep.”
    At first Lizzie didn’t know what Ms. Dobbins was talking about. Then she gasped. “Oh! She’s so little,” she whispered. Under Ms. Dobbins’s desk, a tiny puppy lay sleeping, tucked inside a shoebox lined with an old towel.

CHAPTER TWO
    They slipped quietly into the office, and Lizzie knelt down to take a closer look at the puppy in the shoebox. Ms. Dobbins had set up a lamp over the box to keep her warm. In the lamp’s golden glow, the puppy stretched and squirmed in her sleep. She opened her tiny mouth and yawned a pink puppy yawn. Lizzie felt her heart flip over. The puppy was only a few inches long, and mostly white with orangey-red spots like freckles. One ear was the same orangey-red color and the other was white. Her nose was pink, and her tiny paws were, too. Her ears were just little flaps, about the size of Lizzie’s pinky fingernail.
    Now the puppy opened her mouth and made a little mewing noise, almost like a kitten. “Oh!” said Lizzie. The puppy looked up at her with milky blue eyes that did not quite seem to focus on her face. “Wow, her eyes are barely open.” She wanted to reach out a finger and stroke the puppy, but she was afraid she might hurt her. “How old is she?”
    “Just under four weeks,” said Ms. Dobbins.
    “Where’s her mom?” Lizzie knew that a puppy that age needs to be with her mother. She needs her milk, and she needs her warmth and her care. “Doesn’t she have any sisters and brothers?”
    Ms. Dobbins sighed. “Her mother is very sick,” she said. “That’s why she’s here.” She sat down on the floor next to Lizzie. “Right before Maria’s party started, I got a call from my old friend Alexandra, who lives about two hoursaway. Her cocker spaniel Sissy had puppies, but Sissy got sick right before she