The Scruffy Puppy

by Holly Webb

  For everyone at Park Lane Primary School – and especially for Class 3S and 3R!

  www.hollywebbanimalstories.com

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Bella couldn’t help doing a sort of hopping little dance as they went up the steps at the front of the animal shelter. She was just too excited to walk sensibly. She had been waiting so long for this day. It had been weeks and weeks since Mum and Dad had first started talking seriously about getting a dog, and before that Bella had been trying to persuade them for years.

  Still, they were really here, walking into Redlands Animal Shelter to find a dog who could be their very own.

  “What sort of dog do you think we’ll get?” she asked suddenly, turning round on the top step, and looking at her mum and dad, and Tom, her older brother. They were all following behind as she had run ahead of them from the car. Bella had wanted to ask this question – and lots of others – ever since Mum had told them about the trip to the animal shelter earlier in the week. But she hadn’t quite dared. What if they couldn’t decide on a favourite breed and gave up on the whole idea? Even now, she glanced anxiously from Mum to Dad to Tom, wondering what they would say. She’d been thinking about it a lot herself – trying to decide what her absolute favourite, best, loveliest kind of dog would be.

  She hadn’t thought about much else for weeks, actually. Her friend Megan had started to roll her eyes every time Bella mentioned dogs at school, or suggested going to the library to look at dog books again. And Mr Peters, their teacher, had told Bella off for daydreaming at least three times. On the other hand, he had given her a star and two house points for her poem about dogs. So it sort of evened out.

  But even after all that, Bella still hadn’t decided what her top dog actually was. She knew they were getting their dog from the shelter because buying a dog from a breeder would be very expensive, and Mum and Dad really wanted to give a home to a dog who didn’t have one, as well. So in a way, it was good that she hadn’t set her heart on one particular breed, because the chances of that exact breed being at the shelter were probably small. Still, wasn’t it a bit strange that she couldn’t decide what her favourite dog really was, when she could choose from any that she liked? She knew what the problem was – it was just that she liked them all…

  “If there was every sort of dog at the shelter, what would your favourite be?” she asked her mum. “I know it won’t be there,” she added hurriedly. “I’m just interested.”

  Mum smiled at her. “I’d been wondering when you’d ask that. I was a bit surprised that you hadn’t been on the computer, looking at dog websites and working out exactly what sort of dog you’d like.”

  Bella gave her a little embarrassed smile. “That’s just what I have been doing!” she admitted. “But I can’t decide!”

  Mum ruffled Bella’s hair as she opened the door to the shelter’s reception area. “If I could have any dog in the world, I’d like something quite little and cute. Maybe a dachshund.”

  “Is that a sausage dog?” Tom asked suspiciously. “I don’t want a sausage dog. My mates would laugh. Something big would be cool.” He grinned. “I really like those big hairy things.”

  Bella rolled her eyes. “Great description. Which big hairy things?”

  “You know. The ones in the paint ads.”

  “Oh! An Old English Sheepdog!” Bella nodded excitedly. “They’re gorgeous.”

  “Sorry, you two.” Dad shook his head at Bella and Tom. “I shouldn’t think there’ll be an Old English Sheepdog here, or even a dachshund. I should think most of the dogs will be strays. Mixed breeds, probably.”

  Bella nodded. Mum was over by the reception desk now, explaining that they’d like to look at dogs for adoption. Bella was so happy, she couldn’t keep still. She had to keep talking, or she might burst with excitement. “What sort of dog would you like, Dad?”

  “Mmm.” Dad frowned. “I fancy something quite big. I like the idea of taking a dog when I go running.”

  Tom snorted. “So, a greyhound then.”

  Their dad was really tall and he liked to go on long runs. He had entered the marathon before – they’d all gone up to London to watch him.

  Bella shook her head. “I don’t know about a greyhound, Dad. I’m not sure they could keep up with you. They’re more about going super-fast, but only for a short time. And anyway, if there was a greyhound here, it might be an ex-racing dog.” She frowned, and stood still for a minute. “And they’re really sad. The owners just dump them when they can’t race any more, and they’ve never had a proper home, or been looked after. They’ve all got terrible teeth, because the owners never took real care of them. I read about one who had to have all his teeth taken out.”

  Dad sighed. “I think quite a few of the dogs here might have sad stories, Bella. We just have to think that at least we’re going to give one of them a home.” He put an arm round her shoulders. “So, what do you think? Great, big, hairy dog? Tiny little fluffy thing?”

  Bella sighed.

  “I just don’t know! I keep trying to imagine myself with different sorts of dog, but I like all of them…” She smiled up at her dad. “When we see them for real, it’ll be different, won’t it? We’ll know which is the perfect dog for us. I’m sure we will.”

  “How are we ever going to choose?” Bella said helplessly. There were so many dogs, and most of them were really excited to see visitors. They jumped up from their beds, and hurried over to the wire netting in the front of the pens, scrabbling madly, and begging to be stroked, loved, taken home. There were just a few who didn’t bother getting up, and Bella thought that they were even sadder. Those dogs must have been at the shelter so long that they knew it was no use. No one was ever going to want them. Their hopeless eyes made her want to cry.

  The worst thing was that she could see that her family couldn’t take them, either. They were mostly elderly, and didn’t look like they’d want to go for runs with Dad, or play around in the garden with her and Tom. But she wished she could be the one to make them happy.

  “Are you OK?” One of the centre staff stopped next to her, smiling. She had a badge on that said “Jo – Manager”.

  Bella gulped. “Yes. I suppose. It’s just so sad. Some of the dogs look like they’ve given up.”

  Jo sighed. “I know. But it’s not completely hopeless, you know. We do find almost all of them homes in the end, even though it can take a long time. Elderly dogs can be great, gentle pets.” She smiled at Bella. “I should think you and your family would like something a bit bouncier, though.”

  “Yes, please.” Bella nodded. “I don’t really mind about what breed or anything. I just want to have a dog of our own.”

  Jo looked at her thoughtfully. “Did you see Sid?”

  Bella frowned. “I don’t think so. Is he up there somewhere?” She pointed further down the line of pens, where her dad and Tom were crouched down looking in at a big Boxer, who was barking as if he would burst with excitement.

  “No, no, you’ve gone past him. Here.” Jo led Bella back a couple of pens, and stopped so she could peer in.

  The basket was in the corner of the pen, and all Bella could see was a fuzzy brown and white back.

  Jo chuckled. “He could sleep for England, this one. But when he’s awake, he’s a cutie. Well…” she paused. “He is cute. But he’s not exactly the best-looking dog in the world. I have to a
dmit, most people pass him over. But I think he’s lovely. I’d take him home myself if I didn’t have four cats already.”

  “Has he been here for ages?” Bella asked, crouching down to look at the brown and white furry lump in the basket.

  “About, um, four months.” Jo sighed. “He’s starting to give up, which is so sad. I think he sleeps so much because he really hates being here. He’s lovely and affectionate with the staff, but he wants space to run in. A bit of time in the exercise yard just isn’t enough.”

  “My dad really wants a dog who could go running with him,” Bella said hopefully. “And my mum just wants a dog who isn’t too massive. Sid doesn’t look that big. Is he?” She wrapped her fingers round the wire, staring in, and wishing Sid would wake up. The fuzzy white back twitched and wriggled a bit.

  “No, he’s some sort of terrier cross. Medium-sized, but with longish legs. And even though he’s still very young, I don’t think he’ll get much bigger.”

  “You mean he’s a puppy?” Bella asked excitedly. She hadn’t expected they’d be able to get a young dog. Mum and Dad had explained that most of the dogs at the shelter would already have had one owner.

  Jo smiled. “Well, let’s just say he’s a teenager.”

  “Oh, I wish he’d wake up and come and see me,” Bella sighed.

  Inside the pen, Sid heard the voices. The nice one, who always stroked him even more than the others when she brought his food. She always scratched his ears, and chatted, and he could tell she liked him. She was talking to someone that he hadn’t heard before, though. His ears twitched thoughtfully, and he wondered if it was one of the people who took dogs away. Someone had taken the young Staffie in the opposite pen only yesterday. But even though people looked into his enclosure, they didn’t usually want the door opened so they could meet him. He’d stopped bothering to wag his tail and give them hopeful looks. None of them really seemed to see him anyway.

  His ears flattened and he wriggled round in his basket a bit. He would go back to sleep, until it was time for food.

  “Oh! I thought he was going to wake up!” the young girl said.

  The voice sounded sad, and Sid’s ears pricked up again. He couldn’t help it. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the nice woman there with a girl beside her, crouched by the wire and staring at him.

  “He is awake!” the girl said excitedly. “Oh, how could anyone not find him cute? He’s gorgeous! Look at his beautiful ears!”

  The brown and white dog looked like a sort of wiry-haired terrier, but his mad, frizzy ears had come from somewhere else entirely. Maybe a spaniel, or something little and fluffy like a Papillon? The ones with the ears like butterflies? Or maybe a poodle? Bella wasn’t sure, but she loved them. They made him look like a dog who’d been put together from bits. As he got up and came cautiously towards them, she saw that he had a mad plumy tail as well. He walked over to the wire, slowly, and his tail began to waft from side to side.

  “Hello!” Bella breathed. “Oh, aren’t you lovely?” She glanced up at Jo. “Is it OK to put my fingers through the wire? So I can stroke him?” she asked.

  “Sure, as long as you’re gentle – Sid’s very friendly,” Jo answered.

  Bella slipped her fingers through the netting, and giggled as Sid came closer and licked at them curiously. “That tickles! Hello, sweetheart.” Carefully, slowly, she reached her fingers round to rub under his chin. All the dogs she’d met before loved that. It seemed that Sid did, too. He closed his eyes and sighed blissfully.

  “Please can we open the pen? So I can meet him properly?” Bella whispered to Jo.

  Jo smiled at her. “Hadn’t we better see what your mum and dad think first?” she said.

  “Oh! Oh, yes, I forgot. I’ll get them! I’m sure they’ll love him. I’ll be back in a minute, Sid.” And Bella jumped up, hurrying away between the pens. The lady on reception had told them not to run, in case it upset the dogs, but she just couldn’t help going fast.

  Sid sighed and his tail dropped down. His ears sagged as well and he turned to trail back to his basket. It had been stupid to think that the girl had liked him. She had fussed over him and rubbed his chin in just his favourite place, but then she had vanished.

  “Hey…” Jo called gently. “She’s only gone to find her mum and dad. She’s coming back. Sid… Don’t be sad, my lovely.”

  But Sid had gone back to his basket and curled up determinedly. He wasn’t listening.

  Chapter Two

  “Well, he doesn’t look very friendly,” Mum said rather doubtfully.

  “Oh, but he is! Well, he was…” Bella pleaded. “You tell them,” she said, turning to Jo.

  “He’s a lovely dog, but he’s been here a while and he’s not been adopted,” Jo explained. “Some dogs stop bothering to try and say hello to everyone.”

  “Oh…” Bella saw her mum’s face crumple a little. Her mum was just as soppy as she was. A dog who thought he’d never have a proper home was making them both want to cry.

  “We could at least open the pen and meet him properly, couldn’t we?” Bella asked, fixing her eyes on her mum.

  “Oh, yes,” Mum nodded.

  Sid was still in his basket, but his ears were twitching frantically. There were lots of people outside his pen now – he could hear them. Were they talking about him? He popped his head up a fraction and darted a glance across the pen.

  “Aw, look at him!” Bella’s mum laughed. “Look at those ears!”

  “Exactly!” Bella beamed at her.

  “Isn’t he a bit … scruffy-looking?” Dad said, coming up behind them with Tom.

  Bella glared at him. “He’s gorgeous!”

  “He does have a lovely personality,” Jo put in as she opened the pen. “Very friendly, and he likes lots of exercise. Bella said you like to run? He’d be over the moon at that. He’s got great long legs…”

  Dad smiled. “Let’s meet him then.”

  Sid stood up in his basket, his tail waving uncertainly back and forth. They were definitely getting him out! His tail wagged faster and faster, and when Jo called, “Sid! Sid, here boy!” he shot out of the basket so fast he skidded over the tiled floor, and almost crashed into Dad’s feet.

  “Hello!” Dad laughed. “All right, you’re keen, aren’t you!” He rubbed Sid’s huge feathery ears, while Bella scratched him under the chin again. Sid stood there, practically dribbling with pleasure.

  “What do you think, Tom?” Mum asked.

  Tom was grinning. “He’s great. Dad, you know he’s about to drool on your trainers?” Tom crouched down by Sid and stroked his back. “He’s a weird mix, isn’t he. Short fur and fluffy ears. But he’s really friendly.”

  Bella sighed happily, and Sid looked up at her with shy black eyes. “I told you, didn’t I,” she whispered, as Dad stood up and began to talk to Jo about dates for bringing Sid home with them. “I said they’d love you, and I was right!”

  “He’s so sweet,” Bella told Megan as they put their coats away. She’d been waiting for her friend by the gate, but Megan hadn’t arrived until just before the bell. Bella should have known – it was the same every morning – but she’d been desperate to tell Megan about Sid.

  “The lady from the shelter’s coming over after school to see the house—”

  “What for?” Megan asked, sounding surprised.

  “Oh, to make sure it’s a proper home for a dog. That we’ve got a bit of garden, and no young children, things like that.”

  “I’d have thought they couldn’t be that picky.” Megan shrugged. “If they’re just stray dogs.”

  “Well, they’ve got to find them nice homes,” Bella pointed out, feeling a bit hurt. “Or they’ll only end up back at the shelter again, won’t they.”

  “Mmm, suppose so. Did you do that maths homework?”

  “Yes.” Bella was about to start telling Megan how beautiful Sid’s ears were, but her friend was already hurrying out of the cloakroom. Bella sighed. Maybe she was
going on about Sid a bit too much. But how could she stop talking about him when he was so gorgeous?

  The home visit went well, even though Bella was really nervous. She’d been certain that Jo would find something awful about their house, and say that they couldn’t bring Sid home after all. But Jo seemed to think they’d be brilliant dog owners, especially as Mum worked from home. Bella had shown her a leaflet about dog-training classes, which she’d picked up at the hall where she went for dancing, and Jo had beamed at her.

  “Great! You sound as though you’re taking it all really seriously. I think Sid shouldn’t be too hard to train. He’s very good-natured, and he already knows how to sit and walk to heel.”

  Jo had also told them a little bit of Sid’s story. He’d been found abandoned as a puppy, stuffed into a cardboard box at a rubbish dump. Mum had cried when Jo told them that, and Bella had felt like crying, too. How could anyone be so cruel? It had made all of them – Mum, Dad, Bella and Tom – determined to make sure that Sid had the best home ever after such an awful start.

  Jo had arranged that they could come and pick Sid up at the weekend – just a week after they’d first seen him. It wasn’t really all that long to wait, but for Bella, it seemed as though the week lasted forever. She dashed out of school on Friday afternoon with just the speediest, “Bye! Have a nice weekend!” to Megan. She and her mum were meeting Tom up the road at his school. Then they were all going to the pet shop to choose a basket, and the other things that Sid would need once they brought him home.

  By the time they got to the shelter at nine o’clock on Saturday morning, Bella had already been up for hours, and she was buzzing with excitement. Today was the day! They were really going to be bringing Sid home.