ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROBIN BOYER
“But, Mom, that’s so unfair,” Parker complained.
“Listen, I’d love to have a dog, too,” his mom
replied. “But I work, and I don’t have time to train it,
feed it, walk it or any of the other things a dog needs.”
“We would help with all of that,” Maddie chimed in.
“I know you think that, sweetie, but you two aren’t
the most responsible. You don’t even remember to
feed Goldy unless I remind you.”
“But having a dog would be so different than having
a goldfish,” Parker pointed out.
“You’re right,” their mom agreed. “It’d be even more
work, and we’re not taking that on right now.”
Parker and Maddie knew they had to drop the
subject. Talking about it more would only make their
mom mad.
“Now on my way in from the car, I noticed Mrs.
Feeny coming out her front door,” their mom changed
the subject. “Please go out there and see if there’s
anything she needs help with.”
“Maybe she’s just taking a walk,” Parker said.
“She just had hip surgery, so it isn’t a good idea
for her to be walking by herself. Please check on her,
and remember what I told you about being a good
neighbor.”
Maddie knew better than to question her mom. She
dragged her older brother out the door and looked for
Mrs. Feeny, quickly spotting her on her front walk.
“Hey, Mrs. Feeny, whatcha doing?” Maddie greeted
her. But her grin soon vanished when she saw the sign
Mrs. Feeny was taping up. “Oh no, Barkely’s missing!
What happened?”
Mrs. Feeny explained that her dachshund had
somehow escaped the backyard when she’d let him
out to do his business.
“I’m so upset,” she told the kids. “Before my
surgery, I would have walked all over town trying to
find him, but my doctor told me I need to take it easy
with my walker. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“We can look for him for you,” Maddie offered.
“Would you really?” Mrs. Feeny asked.
“I know you guys want a dog,” Parker and Maddie listened to
their mom, feeling hopeful. “But we can’t have one right now.”
Story We ❤
LOST
The
Dog
