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westart by cleaning out the kitty-litter boxes? That’s the worst job of all, so I like to get it over with first.”
    “Okay,” said Jimmy. “I’ve helped change my baby cousin’s diapers. That’s probably even worse. P.U.!” He held his nose and smiled at Lizzie.
    Lizzie smiled back. Jimmy was definitely in a better mood now that he was at the shelter. And he wasn’t being too annoying. Actually, he wasn’t being annoying at all. Maybe he was only that way when he had to sit still, like in school. She led him into the cat room and showed him what to do. Jimmy didn’t make faces or say, “Ew,” the way Daphne probably would have. He just got to work.
    When they were done, Lizzie and Jimmy took a moment to pay attention to the cats. Ms. Dobbins always said it was important to get them used to being around people. The kittens seemed to love Jimmy, and climbed all over his shoulders to lickhis ears. The mama cats sat nearby to keep a watchful eye on their kittens as Jimmy petted each one, holding them as gently as if they were fine china. Even Tommy, the old gray tomcat, slunk down from his high perch and wrapped himself around Jimmy’s legs, purring loudly.
    Lizzie stared. She had never seen Tommy do
that
before.
    Next it was time to walk dogs. “I love taking the dogs out. It’s my absolute favorite chore here,” Lizzie told Jimmy as she opened the door to the dog room.
    Jimmy’s eyes brightened when he heard the dogs start to bark. He laughed. “They’re happy to see us.” He had to yell to be heard over the racket. He began to walk up and down the aisles between the kennels, stopping at each kennel door to look at the dog inside.
    Lizzie noticed something. All the dogs went on barking — except for whichever one Jimmyhappened to be looking at. That dog — at the moment it was Fluffy, a little Pekingese — sat quietly and looked back at Jimmy with big, curious eyes. It was as if the dogs were waiting with interest to hear what Jimmy had to say.
    And Jimmy was saying things to them. Things that Lizzie couldn’t quite hear. He spoke very quietly and gave each dog his full attention. He held his hands up to the kennel doors so that the dogs could sniff him.
    Jimmy stood very still at each kennel. He was almost as still, Lizzie thought, as he had been when she had found him sitting inside his cubby.
    “You’re really good with animals,” she said to him.
    He nodded. “That’s what I was trying to tell you the other day. My gramps calls me the Dog Whisperer. He says I’m the only one his old basset hound, Sadie, ever listens to. She’s very stubborn, but I can get her to do anything.”
    “Cool,” said Lizzie. Jimmy really did deserve a dog of his own. But if he couldn’t have that, at least he could be around these dogs, here at Caring Paws. “Ready to walk some dogs?” she asked.
    Jimmy nodded eagerly.
    Lizzie started him off with the easiest dog: an old, slow black Lab named Casey, who liked to mosey around and sniff every single weed in the exercise yard. Jimmy clipped on his leash and said, “Come on, Casey.”
    Lizzie followed them out into the yard with another Lab, a yellow one named Molly. She watched as Casey trotted along, looking much livelier than usual. After Casey, she had Jimmy walk Ramon, a peppy little Chihuahua, and Popeye, a drooly bulldog. Then she decided he was ready for Greta.
    “Careful,” she said as she handed over Greta’s extra-heavy leash. “Greta is really strong, andshe likes to pull. Open the door slowly, and —” Lizzie stopped herself. She was being bossy again, and a know-it-all. Jimmy had been great with all the other dogs. Maybe she should just wait to see how he handled Greta. Maybe she could learn to be a know-a-lot, instead of a know-it-all.
    Sure enough, Greta didn’t pull one bit when Jimmy walked her. She sailed out of her kennel with majestic dignity and strolled down the aisle, gazing up at Jimmy with a look of total adoration on her big,