Harry the Homeless Puppy Read Online Free PDF Page B

her, looking worried.
    “Maya told me Harry was back. Was that him howling?” Danny asked.
    Grace nodded and sniffed. Danny gave her a hug and they headed for the door. Mum was waving to them from reception, telling them to hurry up.
    Maya had just opened the door when there was a sudden crash, and they turned back to see that Sally had dropped Harry’s food bowl. It looked like he’d jumped at the door of the penas she’d opened it, and knocked into her. Now he was racing down between the pens, barking madly, with Sally chasing after him.
    Harry settled at Grace’s feet, his tail wagging desperately. Other people were allowed to take him home. Why couldn’t she? She was the one he wanted to go home with!
    Hopefully, he held out one paw, the way she’d been teaching him. Grace’s eyes were full of tears as she crouched down to take it. Harry gave a triumphant little bark. He’d done it right. There. Surely she couldn’t send him back to his run now.
    Grace picked him up, and rubbed her cheek against his smooth fur. Then she handed him back to Sally, and ran.She couldn’t bear to see him like this.
    Danny, Maya and Mum found her outside the shelter, leaning against the wall and crying.
    “Oh, Grace…” Mum said worriedly. “I’m sure he’ll be all right in a minute.” Grace gave her a disbelieving look, and Mum sighed. “Well, maybe not straight away, but I’m sure he will get over it.”
    “But it isn’t fair!” Grace sobbed. “He’s always having to get over things. His first owner had to leave him, and now this one’s given up on him, and he just wants to be with me and I can’t have him!”
    Mum put an arm round her shoulders comfortingly, and Danny asked, “Mum, isn’t there any way wecould have him? You know how hard Grace has worked.”
    “I do know, and I’m really proud of you, Grace. But Harry needs lots of space to run around. And he’d hate being shut up while we’re all out during the day. I’m sorry, Grace, I wish things were different, but you know we can’t have a dog at the moment.”

Chapter Seven
    “He’s as bad as he was when he first came,” Mandy said sadly, looking at the little brown-and-white ball in the basket. It was all they’d been able to see of Harry for days.
    Sally called gently, “Harry! Here, boy!” but he didn’t even twitch. “It’s so sad. He really adored Grace, but I can understand why she doesn’t think sheshould visit him any more, and it’s probably for the best.”
    “Still, there’s a family coming to see him this afternoon,” said Mandy. “They saw him on the website, and they think he looks perfect. If they like him, and they can give him the time to settle down…”
    They stared at Harry, still curled up silently, and Sally sighed. “Well, you never know…”

    Grace didn’t go to the shelter at all that week. She just couldn’t bear it. She had made Harry’s life even harder by falling in love with him. He had to find a new home, and she was stopping him.She just had to let him go, the sooner the better.
    She supposed she could have gone back to the shelter and kept away from Harry, but that would be so difficult. Danny didn’t even try to persuade her this time. Mum had phoned the shelter to talk to Sally and explain. Grace had listened to what Mum was saying, and she could tell that Sally was sad, but that she agreed with Mum. It was the best thing for Harry.
    Life felt very flat without the shelter to go to, though, Grace thought, lying on her bed listening to her favourite CD. School, more school, hanging around at home. She’d gone to Maya’s for tea yesterday, which was nice, butshe still missed Harry, and all the other dogs, so much.
    “Grace!” Mum called from the kitchen. “Time to go!”
    Grace sighed, and rolled off her bed. Another flat to go and see.

    Grace smiled politely as the lady who owned the flat chatted to her about whether she liked the bedroom that would be hers. She just wished Mum and Dad