As the sun rose higher in the sky, Gazebo Square echoed with cheerful cries of “Good morning!”

People behind the booths were setting out their brightly colored displays as they greeted their first customers of the day. The square was buzzing with happy chatter, and the air smelled like coffee and freshly baked cinnamon buns. Over at the gazebo bandstand, three boys were playing a happy tune.

“Good morning!” eight-year-old twins Meg and Charlie shouted to their friends as they hurried past. Charlie’s backpack was full of yummy breakfast treats. Meg was clutching the handle of a big straw basket in one hand and a dog leash in the other. At the end of the leash was a fluffy golden puppy with a brown marking around one eye, like a pirate’s eye patch. Meg smiled proudly. Buster looked so cute prancing along on his big puppy paws.

“Woof!” Buster suddenly barked and tugged his leash out of Meg’s hand.

“He spotted his brother!” Charlie said with a laugh. He pointed to another ball of golden fur, shooting out from under the Cocina Mexicana stall, which was run by their friend Juan. Juan’s puppy, Paco, was wagging his tail so hard that it was a blur.

“Woof, woof, woof!” The two puppies pounced gleefully on each other and rolled over and over, toppling a sack of sweet potatoes.

“Oops!” Meg murmured. She untangled Buster’s leash and picked up the potatoes.

“Oh, that’s no problem,” said Juan. His face lit up in a huge grin. “I love to see Paco play with Buster. I played with my brother like that when we were small, too!”

Meg and Charlie laughed.

“Buster looks great,” Juan went on. “I guess he likes living with you at Pet Hotel.”

“He loves it!” Meg said happily.

“Buster gets along with all the guests,” Charlie said. “Even the cats!”

“That’s good to hear,” Juan said, unpacking a box of pineapples. “Have a great day, you two. Thanks for stopping by!”

“See you later,” Meg and Charlie called, waving good-bye. They walked across the street to a tall old brownstone with a freshly painted front door. Above the door was a big new sign that read PET HOTEL.

Meg and Charlie both looked up at the sign and beamed from ear to ear. When they’d first arrived at Gazebo Square, their great-great-aunt Saffron’s hotel had been a regular hotel for people, but it was so run-down that it didn’t have any guests. When Juan had hurt his ankle, Meg and Charlie had taken care of Paco — and realized that the hotel made a perfect place for pets to stay. It was already an amazing success! Right now, their guests were six goldfish, two cats, three dogs, a rabbit, four guinea pigs, and a —

“Wheeeeep!” An ear-piercing screech came from inside the hotel, making Charlie, Meg, and Buster leap into the air.

Meg held tightly to Buster’s leash and carefully pushed open the sky-blue door.

“Wheee-wheee-wheeep!” The noise was coming from upstairs.

Charlie shut the hotel door firmly behind them so that none of the pets could get out.

There was another screech, as loud as a train coming into a station.

Meg giggled as she hung Buster’s leash on a peg beside the front door. “Any second now, the singing will start,” she said.

Charlie quickly clapped his hands over his ears.

Sure enough, a voice echoed down the stairs: “You ain’t nothing but a hound dog! You ain’t nothing but a hound dog!” It sounded like an opera singer being strangled.

Buster threw back his head. “Aooo-ooo!” he howled.

“Elvis is awake,” Meg said. She and Charlie dropped their basket and backpack on the reception desk and raced upstairs to see their latest guest.