The Lonely Pony

For Gerri, Ben, Van Gogh, Cassie, and Jack

C.H.

“Oh my gosh, this bunny has to be the cutest animal I've ever seen!” Lolli Simpson exclaimed.

She was in the lobby of the Third Street Animal Shelter with her friends Janey Whitfield and Zach Goldman. The three of them were watching Zach's mother examine a fluffy black-and-white rabbit who was a new shelter resident. Dr. Goldman was a veterinarian with a busy private practice. But she made time each week to donate her skills to the shelter.

Zach looked at Lolli and grinned. “Really?” he said. “Cuter than Roscoe?”

Roscoe was Lolli's dog. He was part Lab, part Rottweiler, and part who-knew-what.

Lolli smiled at Zach. “Okay, the bunny is one of the cutest animals I've ever seen,” she said.

But she knew Zach was only teasing her. He loved to joke around and play pranks.

Janey reached out and stroked the rabbit's fur. “He's so soft,” she said. “I've never seen a rabbit at the shelter before.”

“We do get some in from time to time,” said Kitty, the kids' favorite shelter worker. She was a lively young woman with a blonde ponytail. “They can be a little tricky to adopt out.”

“Why?” Lolli giggled as the rabbit's little nose twitched. “He's adorable! I already want to take him home myself.”

“If Lolli doesn't adopt him, maybe the Pet Rescue Club can help find this bun bun a home,” Zach said.

The Pet Rescue Club was a group the three kids had started, along with their friend Adam Santos. The four of them tried to help needy animals in any way they could.

“How did he end up here, anyway?” Lolli asked Kitty. “I can't believe anyone would give up such a sweet pet.”

Kitty sighed. “This little guy's previous owners bought him on a whim last Easter,” she said. “They thought having a cute little bunny hopping around their house would be fun. But they weren't prepared for how much work a pet like this can be.”

“So they took him to the shelter?” Janey said with a frown. “That's vile.”

Vile was Janey's new favorite word. She liked to use interesting or unusual words whenever she could.

“How much work could a little bunny like this be?” Lolli wiggled her nose at the rabbit, then smiled as he wiggled his nose in return.

Dr. Goldman glanced up from examining the rabbit's long, floppy ears. “Actually, rabbits require somewhat specialized care,” she said. “They need safe housing, and they do best with certain types of foods, and of course every species has its own health and behavior issues.”

“Okay, I get it.” Lolli tickled the bunny under the chin. “But it would be worth it to have such a cutie pie around the farm! I think I'll ask my parents if I can adopt him.”

“Really? That would be fab.” Janey looked a little bit wistful, and Lolli knew exactly why. Janey's father was severely allergic to animals, so Janey couldn't have any pets at home. That was how the Pet Rescue Club had come to be. Janey had started a blog
asking people to share their cutest pet photos. Someone had posted a picture of a sad, neglected dog named Truman. Janey and her friends had helped Truman find a new home with their homeroom teacher, Ms. Tanaka. The rest was history!

Dr. Goldman gave the bunny one last pat, then stepped back. “He seems healthy,” she told Kitty.

“Great. I'll take him back to his cage.” Kitty picked up the rabbit, who snuggled into her arms. “Lolli, if you really think you might like to adopt him, we can talk about rabbits' special needs later.”

“Okay, thanks,” Lolli said. “I need to ask my parents first.”

“It'll be cool if you get a pet rabbit,”
Janey said after Kitty had left with the rabbit and Dr. Goldman had gone into the dog room to check on a patient. “I wonder if we could teach him some tricks.”

“Yeah, like riding my skateboard!” Zach said with a laugh. “Wait, can rabbits walk on a leash like dogs do? Maybe Adam should expand his business to include walking rabbits, too!”

Adam had a successful pet-sitting and dog-walking business, even though he was only nine. He was a good dog trainer, too. He'd helped Truman learn how to behave better before Ms. Tanaka adopted him.

Janey frowned. “Speaking of Adam, where is he?” She checked her pink watch. “He was supposed to be here ten minutes
ago for our meeting.”

“I'm sure he'll be here soon,” Lolli said. “Saturday is always a busy day for pet sitting. I think he said he had to walk a few dogs after lunch.”

“Well, I hope he hurries up and gets here.” Janey sounded impatient. “We need to figure out how to find more animals to help, and the weekend's almost half over already!”

Zach pointed at the shelter's front door. “Your wish is our command,” he said. “Here comes Adam now.”

Adam hurried in. “Sorry I'm late,” he said breathlessly. “But I have to tell you guys about—”

“We thought you'd never get here!” Janey interrupted loudly. “I was about to start the meeting without you.”

“Okay,” Adam said. “But—”

“This is a very important meeting, you know,” Janey went on. “Nobody has contacted us since we helped that cat, Hallie, last week. I'm sure there are lots of animals that need our help, but we can't help them if we don't know about them, right? So I was thinking, maybe we should write something on my blog asking people to look for needy animals and e-mail us, or—”

“Janey!” Adam broke in. His voice was
louder than usual. “If you'd let me get two words in, that's what I want to tell you!”

Janey looked surprised at being interrupted. “Huh?”

Adam took a deep breath. “I think I found an animal that needs our help,” he said, his voice its normal volume again. “I've noticed her a couple of times while I was out walking dogs. And today I made a special trip to see if she's still there—that's why I was a little late.”

“Really?” Lolli said. “What kind of animal is it, Adam? Another dog?”

Adam shook his head. “Definitely not a dog.”

“A cat?” Janey said. “Or maybe a rabbit?”

“I bet it's an injured Bigfoot,” Zach joked.

Adam just shook his head again. “Come with me and I'll show you,” he said.

“Are we going to my house?” Lolli joked, peering out the car window.

Dr. Goldman smiled at her in the rearview mirror. “I don't know,” she said. “Adam? Should we turn down Lolli's road?”

“No, keep going straight,” Adam said. “It's about a mile farther that way.”

The Pet Rescue Club had asked Zach's mother to drive them to see Adam's mystery pet. Dr. Goldman had agreed, since she was finished working for the day. She was just as curious to see Adam's mystery animal as everyone else!

Adam had directed them to a rural area right outside of town. Lolli lived nearby on a small farm with her parents, where they grew organic vegetables and kept a sheep and a couple of goats. There were lots of other farms in the area, too. Some grew crops like corn or soybeans. But Janey preferred the ones with cows, horses, or other animals grazing in the fields. There was even a llama farm! Among the farms were some regular houses with extra-large yards.