by Claire Garth
‘Dog, would you control that puppy?!’ Mr Tibbles yelled, trying his best to remain calm and composed.
‘C’mon, Grover, why aren’t you barking? Dogs are supposed to bark at cats!’ Stretch called out, edging closer and closer to Mr Tibbles.
‘DOOOOGG!!’ Mr Tibbles yelled, his voice now shaking.
‘Okay, Stretch, that’s enough,’ Grover said calmly.
‘But why, Grover? It’s just a cat!’ Stretch said, looking confused.
Mr Tibbles stood there with his mouth wide open. He seemed to be in disbelief that Grover had stood up for him. ‘What are you playing at, Dog? Hmm? You think I don’t know your games?’
‘I’m not playing at anything, Mr Tibbles. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a date with the park.’
‘Oh yes, the park!’ Stretch squealed, hauling his cast up into the air as he hopped down the stairs to the gate. He had clearly forgotten all about Mr Tibbles.
For a skinny puppy with a badly broken leg, Stretch sure did have an unbreakable spirit. Although he was cheeky and annoying sometimes, Grover felt proud of him. Stretch didn’t seem to have any fear, and he appeared to have forgotten all about the life he had before being dumped at the animal shelter. It had taken Grover ages to forget about the Man with Big Boots. Stretch had only been at Cavendish Lane for a few days, but he already seemed perfectly fine. Puppies sure are resilient, Grover thought as they headed towards the park.
CHAPTER 5
The park that morning was as glorious as ever, and seeing the excitement on Stretch’s face made it even more wonderful.
‘LOOK AT ALL THAT GRASS!’ Stretch barked as they walked through the park gates. ‘And the trees! There are so many trees! Just like my mum always said! This is AMAZING!’
He was pulling so hard on his lead that Grover thought it might snap.
‘Okay, Stretch, calm down. Your eyes look like they’re going to pop out of your head. Now, when David tells us to stop, we have to sit and wait for him to unclip our leads, and then when he says ‘Free!’ we can go play. Have you got that?’
‘Sure, Grover! Look, someone’s throwing a ball!’ Stretch was bounding around so much that you wouldn’t know he had a broken leg if it wasn’t for the cast!
‘And remember to be careful of your leg, Stretch. There are lots of places it could get stuck and things that could hit it, so take special care.’
They’d reached the spot where David usually let Grover off the lead. David told the two dogs to sit, and Grover waited patiently for the magic word. David unclipped Grover’s lead and then went over to Stretch. The puppy was trying hard to keep his backside on the ground, but it just kept lifting into the air!
David reached down to Stretch’s collar. As soon as he’d unclipped the lead, Stretch raced off as fast as he could towards the playground, lifting up his broken leg and running on his three good legs.
‘STRETCH!’ Grover yelled out.
Oh no! Grover thought. I really thought he’d behave this time!
David laughed and said to Grover, ‘I guess I’d better say “Free!”’
Grover bounded off to catch up to Stretch. Just as he got to the edge of the playground, he saw his friend Boris strolling towards him.
‘Another new pup, Grover? Seriously? I don’t know how you do it, my friend!’ Boris said, shaking his head.
Grover hadn’t seen Boris for almost a week, so he was very happy to bump into him that afternoon. But before he could start chatting with his old friend, Stretch struck again.
‘Hey, Grover … A little help, please,’ called an echo-y voice from the direction of the playground.
‘Stretch? Is that you?’ Grover called back.
‘Ah, yeah, I’m kind of, a little bit, well … I guess you could say I’m stuck.’
Grover rolled his eyes as he and Boris headed towards the playground.
As they got closer, Grover could see a thin tail poking out from the bottom of the tunnel slide.
‘How did you even get in there, Stretch?’ Grover asked, quite puzzled.
‘I don’t know! It’s not my fault,’ said Stretch. ‘It’s this stupid cast. It doesn’t bend!’
‘Of course it doesn’t bend,’ Grover laughed. ‘It’s made like that to keep your leg straight, so that your bone can heal.’
‘Stupid broken bone,’ Stretch muttered.
I’m beginning to understand how he broke that leg, Grover thought.
‘It’s alright, Grover,’ said Boris. ‘I can handle this one.’ With Stretch’s tail clasped gently in his mouth, Boris tugged and tugged until – pop! – Stretch was free.
‘Thanks for saving him, Boris. It’s not the first time he’s got stuck!’
‘I see. Perhaps you’d better start taking care of yourself, young man,’ Boris said, looking at Stretch sternly.
‘Okay, I’ll try. Oooo, BIRDS!’ Stretch squealed as he bounded off across the park.
‘That is one very naughty puppy,’ Boris said, shaking his head again.
As they watched Stretch run back and forth chasing birds, Grover’s friend Finnegan arrived at the park.
‘Hey, Finnegan!’ Grover called out.
Finnegan was a golden retriever, and he and Grover loved playing ball together. Grover usually won, because Finnegan would always find something tasty to snack on halfway through the chase.
‘Hey, Grover! Hey, Boris! What’s happening?’ Finnegan called as he ran over.
‘Wow, look at that fluff!’ Stretch cried out as he launched himself straight at Finnegan’s big bushy tail.
‘OWWWW!’ Finnegan yelped. ‘Get off, get off, get off!’
‘STRETCH! What are you doing?’ Grover yelled.
Releasing his grasp, Stretch flopped onto the grass. ‘Sorry, Grover. It was just so fluffy and I just needed to, well, get it,’ Stretch replied, looking more and more guilty.
‘You needed to “get it”?’ Finnegan snapped. ‘That’s my tail – if you “get it”, you get me!’
‘I’m so sorry, Finnegan,’ Grover said. ‘This is Stretch. He’s a rescue greyhound puppy and he’s staying with me for a while, until he’s strong enough for his leg to heal.’
‘He seems plenty strong enough to me,’ Finnegan sulked, nuzzling the sore spot on his tail.
‘Grover! Stretch! Home time!’ David yelled from across the park.
Saved by the bell, Grover thought.
‘Come on, Stretch, let’s get you home before there’s another disaster,’ Grover said as they walked towards David.
CHAPTER 6
When they arrived back home, Stretch immediately started barking.
Grover sighed. It must be Mr Tibbles again.
‘Dog, I say, Dog, are you going to stop this snappy little thing? DOG?’ Mr Tibbles yelled out, as he scampered halfway up a tree.
‘You’re not SCARED, are you, Mr Tibbles?’ asked Grover.
‘Of course not! It’s just that I have very delicate hearing and that yappy thing is making my ears ring. Besides, how can a silly puppy with a broken leg hurt me? He’s too busy hurting himself!’ Mr Tibbles snickered at his own joke. He seemed a lot calmer now that he was high above them.
‘If you’re not scared, why did you run up the tree?’ Grover asked.
‘I told you … I was just escaping that awful racket. Who would’ve thought such a weak, pathetic little dog could make so much noise? But I guess I’ll have to get used to it if he’s a rescue dog. No one will want to adopt a dog that’s …broken.’
At that, Stretch launched himself at the tree and growled as loud as he could.
Grover barked, ‘You are the absolute WORST, Mr Tibbles! Stretch, don’t listen to him.’
Grover then dragged Stretch away and into the house. When Grover looked back before the door shut, Mr Tibbles was still in the tree, licking his paws and looking very satisfied.
It took a while, but Grover eventually managed to calm Stretch down. Both dogs then had a long, cooling drink from their water bowls.
Luckily, Stretch was so worn out from running around at the park that he was ready for a long nap.
So was Grover! He headed straight for his soft, grey sheepskin rug. It was the nicest bed in the whole house. Grover thought it must be what sleeping on a cloud felt like.
As he settled down, Stretch arrived at his side.
‘Can I sleep with you, Grover? Also, why don’t you bark at cats? And can we go back to the park soon? And is grass always green? Oh, and are there birds in the backyard to chase too? Can we chase them later on?’ Stretch asked, barely pausing for a breath.
Before Grover could respond, Stretch lay down beside Grover’s fluffy tummy and nuzzled into him.
‘Stretch, are you cuddling me?’ Grover asked.
‘Umm, yes? Is that okay?’ Stretch asked with a little smile.
Goodness me, Grover thought. This puppy sure has a knack for getting his own way.
‘Yes, Stretch. That’s okay. Just try not to snore too much.’
Grover waited for Stretch to say something, but he was sound asleep. His little face was buried in Grover’s fluffy tummy, and his big cast was resting against Grover’s snout.
Well, at least one of us is comfy, Grover thought, sighing.
CHAPTER 7
After a relaxing nap, the boys woke to a delicious smell.
Chicken! No … ROAST chicken!
Grover lifted his nose and breathed it all in. Stretch, on the other hand, was … off! Like a little rocket, he’d shot into the kitchen, dragging his cast behind him.
‘Uh uh, Stretch, no dogs in the kitchen,’ said David.
This is my chance, Grover thought. I HAVE to teach Stretch how to be a good dog.
Grover raced after him. ‘You have to follow the rules, Stretch,’ Grover explained. ‘Dogs aren’t allowed in the kitchen, so if we go back and stay on the rug, we’ll get a treat for being good boys. Can you do that, Stretch?’
‘Hmmm, I’ll try. I’ll really try.’
Both dogs returned to the rug. But it didn’t take long for Stretch to be right back in the kitchen again.
‘Stretch, NO,’ David said firmly, picking him up and putting him on the sheepskin rug.
Within seconds, Stretch was up and heading straight for the kitchen again.
‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ Grover said in his wisest voice.
‘But it smells SOOO delicious! If I’m not in the kitchen, how will they know I want some?’ Stretch argued.
‘Oh, trust me, they know,’ Grover said, laughing. ‘But you’ll only get some as a reward if you’re good and do as you’re told.’
‘I want to be a good boy, I really do. But I can’t help it, I just LOVE that smell. I need it. I need it now!’
Before Grover could stop him, Stretch was up and back in the kitchen.
Oh man, Grover thought, I thought that would work! I’ll have to try something else instead.
‘You’re a cheeky one, Mr Stretchy Pants,’ David joked, as he again placed Stretch beside Grover on the rug. ‘Good boy, Grover,’ David whispered as he gave Grover a scratch behind the ear.
Grover liked that David called Stretch ‘Mr Stretchy Pants’, mainly because he found the thought of a dog wearing pants rather hilarious.
‘So, did you get any chicken that time, Stretch?’ Grover asked with a knowing smile.
‘No,’ Stretch grumbled.
‘Don’t be so glum. Just copy what I do, okay, and I PROMISE you will get some chicken.’
‘Okay, okay, okay!’ Stretch replied. He jumped up and down with excitement, his cast banging on the floorboards.
Grover got up from the rug and walked slowly and calmly over to the kitchen doorway and sat down. Remembering what he’d just been told, Stretch followed and joined him.
‘Good job, buddy,’ Grover said.
‘Thanks, Grover. This is harder than I thought!’ Stretch replied, his nose twitching to capture all the chicken smells.
‘Well, well, well, who are these two well-behaved pups?’ asked David. ‘Do you want some … CHICKEN?’
‘YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!’ Stretch yelped, leaping into the air.
‘Stretch! You need to chill!’ Grover whispered. ‘Sit still and act cool.’
‘Okay, I can do this. I’m sitting still. I’m acting cool,’ Stretch replied, his tail wagging so quickly and furiously that his entire backside was wiggling.
David came over, holding two succulent pieces of chicken. Even Grover could barely contain himself at this point. His entire mouth filled with saliva.
‘Okay, Stretch, just do what I do. Got it?’ Grover said, doing his best to not drool.
‘Okay, Grover,’ Stretch replied. He didn’t take his eyes off David’s hands for a second.
Holding a piece of chicken close to Grover’s nose, David said the magic word. ‘Free!’
Grover leant forward and gently took the piece of chicken. It tasted even better than he remembered. So juicy!
Mmm, delicious, Grover thought.
Now it was Stretch’s turn.
‘Remember to take it gently,’ Grover whispered.
‘Aargh, I don’t know if I can wait any longer!’ Stretch replied.
‘Okay, Stretch,’ David said, holding the chicken out for him to smell it. ‘FREE!’
Stretch leant forward and gobbled the chicken as quickly as he could. His razor-sharp teeth also nibbled the ends of David’s fingers.
‘Oww!’ David cried. ‘Goodness me, you have sharp chompers for a little guy!’
Stretch would have apologised but he couldn’t – he was too busy licking his lips and reliving the experience. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
‘What was THAT?’ Stretch asked, turning to face Grover.
‘That was roast chicken, and it is the best thing humans eat,’ Grover replied.
‘Mmm, roast chicken,’ Stretch cooed. ‘Can I have some more?’
CHAPTER 8
The next day, Stretch went with Annie and Grover to the animal shelter. On the way, Annie pulled over at a café to get a coffee before work. Grover loved the café because he always got lots of pats from the other customers, and sometimes he could even sniff CAKE!
When they walked in, Stretch was instantly the centre of attention. Everyone asked Annie lots of questions about Stretch’s broken leg, and when she told them he’d been dumped at the shelter, they were all shocked. ‘How could anyone do that!’ they exclaimed. Hearing that made Grover feel better. He realised that, on the whole, humans were loving and cared for animals.
While they were waiting for Annie, Stretch asked Grover, ‘Do ya think I’ll ever see my mum again?’
Grover was a little surprised. Stretch hadn’t really talked about his life before arriving at Cavendish Lane.
‘Um, I’m not sure, Stretch,’ he said, feeling like it was possibly the worst reply in the world.
‘I miss her,’ Stretch continued. ‘Do you think she misses me?’
‘I’m sure she does. Who wouldn’t miss you!’ Grover said, trying to sound cheerful.
‘During the day I don’t really think about my old life, but at night I do. It makes me so sad. I should have been better. It’s all my fault.’
‘What do you mean you “should have been better”?’ Grover gently asked.
‘Well, I was always going places I shouldn’t, exploring and having adventures,’ said Stretch. ‘One night I was walking on a plank of wood near the kennel and I didn’t see the end of it and I fell. I felt my leg break straightaway. When the Boss Man found me, he just put me in the car and took me straight to the shelter. I heard him say something about not wanting to pay for an operation. He didn’t even let me say goodbye to my mum. I was just . . . gone.’ Stretch turned away from Grover and stared at the ground.
‘That’s terrible, Stretch. I’m so sorry,’ Grover replied.
He felt awful for little Stretch. How could anyone be so cruel, especially to such a young puppy? Grover wanted to do something. He
decided to tell Stretch all about the Man with Big Boots and how he had come to live at Cavendish Lane with Annie and David.
‘It will get better for you as well, Stretch. I promise,’ Grover said.
‘Do I get to live with you and Annie and David now too?’ Stretch asked, excited.
‘Well, maybe not forever. You see, lots of different dogs have stayed with us while Annie found them new families. It’s called fostering. So far we’ve had more than ten dogs stay with us this year, and Annie found new homes for all them,’ Grover explained.
‘Really?’ Stretch replied. ‘All of them?’
‘Yep. And not just any homes – they’ve found the BEST homes,’ Grover said proudly.
He desperately wanted to tell Stretch that Annie might have already found him a new family. Luckily, just then the café manager came out with puppacinos for Grover and Stretch. Grover LOVED puppacinos! They were so frothy and delicious. He watched Stretch have his very first taste of puppacino goodness. With one lick, Stretch was hooked.
‘I don’t even know what this is, but it tastes WONDERFUL!’ Stretch screamed as he gobbled up his puppacino even faster than Grover drank his.
After another round of pats and cuddles from the café customers, Annie led the boys back to the car and they headed off to the shelter.
‘That was the best!’ Stretch exclaimed, with a milk moustache from his puppacino. ‘Do you think my new family will be as nice as all those people were, Grover?’
‘Oh yes, I think we’ll find you the loveliest family of all, Stretch. You’ll see.’
CHAPTER 9
At the shelter there were lots of new animals to look after – from tiny three-week-old kittens to a thirteen-year-old Jack Russell named Jack. Grover was rushed off his feet! He couldn’t wait to have his afternoon nap.
Meanwhile, Stretch spent the whole time looking out the window of the office to see any humans who were arriving. Now that Stretch knew he wouldn’t be staying at Cavendish Lane, he was on the lookout to find his perfect new forever home. Standing at the office window, he watched some visitors come in and said, ‘They look nice! Maybe they could be my new family! Ooo, and those other humans behind them look nice too! And what about the ones in the red car? They look like they could love me.’
