over," said Christie, waving to
get her attention. Mona saw the signal and headed for their booth.
"Hi," she said when she reached them.
"Melanie has a problem," said Katie, "and we
wondered if you could help us."
"Sure," said Mona, her face brightening. "You
know I'll help you guys do anything if I can."
"I want a puppy for Christmas and my parents don't want
to get one for me. You go to the animal shelter all the time, and we wondered
if they have any cute puppies and what it costs to get one," said Melanie.
"Oh, they've got lots of cute puppies and
kittens, but I don't know what they cost. I'm going there right after I leave
here, though, and I'll ask."
"Can I go with you?" pleaded Melanie. "I'd
love to see them."
"Me, too," said Jana. "Why don't we all go?
Would they let us in?"
"Sure. There are always people there looking for pets.
I'm leaving in about twenty minutes. I'll stop at your table on my way out."
A little while later, Mona led the way as they all filed
into the foyer of the animal shelter. A Christmas tree stood in one corner.
Melanie smiled as she looked at the decorations on it. There were squeak toys,
rubber balls, dog biscuits, and an assortment of other colorful playthings
hanging among the branches. She could hear yelping and barking in another part
of the building. Suddenly she felt sad. Christmas was less than two weeks away,
but it didn't make any difference to the animals. Most of them would probably
still be stuck in their cages at the shelter.
"Oh, hello, Mona," said the heavyset lady at the
desk. "Is it Wednesday already?"
"Yes, Mrs. Graham. I was wondering if it would be all
right if my friends went back with me to see the animals?"
"It sure would. Maybe they would each like to take one
home with them."
"Don't I wish," said Melanie, sighing deeply.
The six of them trooped through the door behind the desk,
and the barking immediately became louder. Melanie opened her eyes wide at the
sight. Chrome-wire cages, with green plastic garland hanging along the tops,
were stacked double along the concrete-block walls. The bottom cages had larger
dogs in them and the upper ones had smaller dogs. In the center of the room was
a double row of stacked cages. Most of them contained cats of assorted colors
and sizes. A young man wearing a baseball hat sideways was scrubbing the tiled
floor with a bucket of water and a broom.
Melanie had never seen so many cats and dogs at one time,
and many of the dogs were pawing at the bars of their cages as if they wanted
the girls to come to them. There were large dogs with loud, deep voices and
small dogs with chirpy little voices that bounced around like squeak toys.
There were long-haired dogs and short-haired dogs.
There were lots of kittens, too. Some were gray, some were
black, others were calico, and there were even a couple of expensive-looking
Siamese cats. They all turned and looked silently at the girls as they walked
by. One kitten stuck its paw through the bars and swatted at Melanie's finger
when she pointed at it.
"Oh, I love every one of them," cooed Melanie.
"Me, too," Mona agreed. "That's why I come to
play with them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school."
"The puppies are so adorable," said Jana. "How
could anyone bring them here?"
"They are cute," said Mona. "But I like the
older dogs and cats, too. They get neglected sometimes, and I can hardly stand
the looks on their faces." Her own face brightened. "Let me introduce
you to my favorite."
Mona walked to the end of the row of cages on the right. In
the very last one on the bottom was a multicolored dog that lay with its chin
resting on its paws. Its fur had blotches of brown and white and black, and
there was even some red. When the dog saw Mona, it sat up and its tail swept
back and forth across the floor of its cage like a whisk broom.
"Hi, Rainbow. How are you today?" Mona asked the
dog sweetly, sticking her hand in the cage to be licked.
"I call her Rainbow
get her attention. Mona saw the signal and headed for their booth.
"Hi," she said when she reached them.
"Melanie has a problem," said Katie, "and we
wondered if you could help us."
"Sure," said Mona, her face brightening. "You
know I'll help you guys do anything if I can."
"I want a puppy for Christmas and my parents don't want
to get one for me. You go to the animal shelter all the time, and we wondered
if they have any cute puppies and what it costs to get one," said Melanie.
"Oh, they've got lots of cute puppies and
kittens, but I don't know what they cost. I'm going there right after I leave
here, though, and I'll ask."
"Can I go with you?" pleaded Melanie. "I'd
love to see them."
"Me, too," said Jana. "Why don't we all go?
Would they let us in?"
"Sure. There are always people there looking for pets.
I'm leaving in about twenty minutes. I'll stop at your table on my way out."
A little while later, Mona led the way as they all filed
into the foyer of the animal shelter. A Christmas tree stood in one corner.
Melanie smiled as she looked at the decorations on it. There were squeak toys,
rubber balls, dog biscuits, and an assortment of other colorful playthings
hanging among the branches. She could hear yelping and barking in another part
of the building. Suddenly she felt sad. Christmas was less than two weeks away,
but it didn't make any difference to the animals. Most of them would probably
still be stuck in their cages at the shelter.
"Oh, hello, Mona," said the heavyset lady at the
desk. "Is it Wednesday already?"
"Yes, Mrs. Graham. I was wondering if it would be all
right if my friends went back with me to see the animals?"
"It sure would. Maybe they would each like to take one
home with them."
"Don't I wish," said Melanie, sighing deeply.
The six of them trooped through the door behind the desk,
and the barking immediately became louder. Melanie opened her eyes wide at the
sight. Chrome-wire cages, with green plastic garland hanging along the tops,
were stacked double along the concrete-block walls. The bottom cages had larger
dogs in them and the upper ones had smaller dogs. In the center of the room was
a double row of stacked cages. Most of them contained cats of assorted colors
and sizes. A young man wearing a baseball hat sideways was scrubbing the tiled
floor with a bucket of water and a broom.
Melanie had never seen so many cats and dogs at one time,
and many of the dogs were pawing at the bars of their cages as if they wanted
the girls to come to them. There were large dogs with loud, deep voices and
small dogs with chirpy little voices that bounced around like squeak toys.
There were long-haired dogs and short-haired dogs.
There were lots of kittens, too. Some were gray, some were
black, others were calico, and there were even a couple of expensive-looking
Siamese cats. They all turned and looked silently at the girls as they walked
by. One kitten stuck its paw through the bars and swatted at Melanie's finger
when she pointed at it.
"Oh, I love every one of them," cooed Melanie.
"Me, too," Mona agreed. "That's why I come to
play with them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school."
"The puppies are so adorable," said Jana. "How
could anyone bring them here?"
"They are cute," said Mona. "But I like the
older dogs and cats, too. They get neglected sometimes, and I can hardly stand
the looks on their faces." Her own face brightened. "Let me introduce
you to my favorite."
Mona walked to the end of the row of cages on the right. In
the very last one on the bottom was a multicolored dog that lay with its chin
resting on its paws. Its fur had blotches of brown and white and black, and
there was even some red. When the dog saw Mona, it sat up and its tail swept
back and forth across the floor of its cage like a whisk broom.
"Hi, Rainbow. How are you today?" Mona asked the
dog sweetly, sticking her hand in the cage to be licked.
"I call her Rainbow
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