andblackandwhitesplotches,butthemain
thingabouthimwasthathewasmissinga leg.
“He’sa three-leggeddog!”I exclaimed,
statingtheobvious.
“Yes,”Mrs.Karstaadtsaid.“Thevethad
toamputatehisfrontrightlegafterhe’dbeen
hit.Buthegetsaroundverywell.”
“Whatkindofdogis he?”
“Ahodgepodge!”Mrs.Kartstaadt
answeredbrightly.“Wehaven’tdoneany
DNAtesting,sohecouldbeanything.Buthe
hasthetemperamentyouneed.He’scompliant
andcalm.” Asshesaidthat,Farleyturned
aroundandkissedher.
BothJoséandI stoodbackfora moment
asweconsideredthisdog.Hesataspatientas
couldbe,lookingat us.
“Doyouthinkhecouldbeonthestage?”
I asked.
“Easily!”Mrs.Karstaadtreplied
emphatically.
I sighed.“Arethereanyotherdogsat the
shelter?”
“Notlikehim.I havemytwolabsinthe
backyard,butthey’retoogoofyfora produc-
tionlikeyours.They’djustjumpoffthestage
andtrytoplaywithpeopleintheaudience.”
Sheleaned downtorubFarley’sfur.“His
ownerlovesgoingtoshows,sohe’sexcited
aboutthepossibilityofFarleybeingonstage.”
“Great,”I saidthroughclenchedteeth.I
didn’tthinkthattherewasanywaywecould
takethisdog.Peoplemightfindhislackofa
fourthlegdistracting.ThatwassomethingI’d
alwaysheard—youcan’tmaketheaudience
nervouswithimperfections.That’swhatI had
worriedhappenedwhenI wasonstage.People
wereuncomfortablewithhalfofmyfacebeing
burgundy.PerhapsFarleycouldbea greatcom-
fortdogbackstageforactorswithstagefright.
Buthecouldn’tbeoneofthemainperformers.
“Thanks,Mrs.Karstaadt!Bringhimbyon
Monday,please,”Josésaidasweleft.I feared
myassistantstagemanagingcareerwould
screechtoa suddenendingonceMr.Loomis
sawthismongrel.
Unfortunately,myweekendsearchdidnot
yieldanyotherpossibilities.Theownerofa
cuteterrierI sawintheparktoldmethather
dogwastooterrifiedtogonearothers.Another
personoutwalkinga schnauzeradmittedthat
herpethadsomehousetrainingissuesand
mightpeeonthestage.
I hadnoideathatfindinga dogactorwas
sohard.WhatdidtheydoinHollywood?
OnMondayafterschool,Mr.Loomiscalled
meintohisoffice.I cringed,expectingtheworst.
“Ashley!Thisnewdogis goingtobefan-
tastic!”hegushed.
I wasstunned.“Whichdogdoyoumean?”
Didhefindsomeoneelse?
“Farley!He’sa perfectSandy.Mrs.
Karstaadbroughthimbyearlierthismorning.
Wel ldone!”
“Youmeanthethree-leggedmutt?”
“That’stheone!He’swonderful.Weprac-
ticedwithKayla,andsheloveshim.Hedoesn’t
cheworbarkordoanythingbad.Hejustfol-
lowsheraround.”
I wasconfused.“Aren’tyouworriedthat
peoplewillfreakoutoverhimhavingonly
threelegs?”AMONGREL IS A
MIXED-BREED DOG, NOT
A FANCY PUREBRED.WHO CARES? HE’S
PERFECTLY ADORABLE!