The blanket in Lily’s cage at the Dogs’ Home smelled funny, like the stuff Jack’s mum used to clean the kitchen. Lily circled round on the blanket a few times, then settled down. She was in a large, bright room full of other cages.
Lily had never seen so many dogs in her life. There were all sorts of colours, shapes and sizes, barking and whining in different voices. They had all looked up when she’d been brought in, then carried on making their din.
Lily’s heart felt sad and heavy. What if Jack didn’t come to find her? She’d never see him again! She sighed and settled down into a fretful sleep.
“Oh, Mrs Boyd, why did you have to leave me on my own!” whined a voice very close by.
Lily opened one eye and peered into the cage next to her. The spaniel sitting there looked very sad. “Hello, I’m Lily,” she woofed.
“I’m Charlie,” the spaniel replied.
“Who’s Mrs Boyd?” Lily asked.
“She was my owner,” whimpered Charlie. “We were very happy. But then she was taken to hospital and never came back. Her neighbour brought me here.”
Lily’s heart went out to Charlie. He was even worse off than her! At least Lily could hope that Jack would come and get her. “Perhaps someone will come along to give you a new home,” said Lily kindly.
“No they won’t,” replied Charlie sadly. “People only want puppies. I’m two years old!”
Lily decided to try and cheer Charlie up. She started telling him all about her big adventure on the streets, and all the dogs she had met, until his sad, brown eyes began to close in sleep . . .
By morning, the two dogs were firm friends, snuggled up on each side of the cage wall that separated them, fast asleep.
“Here she is! Lily, did you say her name was?”
At the sound of her name, Lily woke with a start and looked up. She blinked and looked again. She couldn’t believe her eyes! There, in front of her cage, was Jack! With Mrs Harper, and Sally, the girl who’d brought her here yesterday!
“Lily!” cried Jack. “I’m here! I’ve come to get you!”
Lily yelped with delight and sat up, wagging her tail so hard it became a blur.
A girl in a green uniform opened the cage and Lily leapt into Jack’s arms, licking his face all over. She wriggled so much he nearly dropped her.
Jack was crying and laughing all at the same time, and Mrs Harper looked a bit tearful too.
“There, Jack! I told you we’d find her!” she said in a rather wobbly voice, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
“What an amazing coincidence, Lil!” said Jack. “Somehow you found our new street yesterday. And when Sally and her family came round to welcome us, they told us they’d just taken a lost puppy to the Dogs’ Home. It was you!”
Lily licked one of Jack’s ears happily. “Yes,” she woofed. “Amazing.”
“Come on then, Lil! Let’s go and show you our new home,” said Jack, putting her lead on.
Lily suddenly remembered Charlie. She looked over Jack’s shoulder to say goodbye to him.
“Bye, Charlie!” she barked. “Don’t give up hope!”
But Charlie was busy wagging his tail and snuffling away at Sally, who had crouched down beside his cage and was talking to him in a soppy voice.
Once Lily had seen her basket in the kitchen of the new house, the idea of living there didn’t seem so strange after all. Jack loved his new bedroom, and Sally had come round to play in their big new garden. She and her family lived next door.
Early one morning, a few days later, Lily was stopped in her tracks as she raced around the garden. She’d heard yapping in Sally’s garden. It sounded familiar.
She ran up to a hole in the fence and peered through. Her small black nose touched another, bigger, black nose. Lily recognised it instantly.
“Charlie!” Lily yelped in surprise. “What are you doing in Sally’s garden?”
“It’s my garden too, now,” Charlie woofed happily. “Thanks to you, I’ve found a new home!”
Charlie explained that when Sally had arrived back from visiting the Dogs’ Home, she’d told her mum all about the spaniel she’d made friends with. She’d persuaded her parents to go and see Charlie. They’d liked him too and had brought him home with them.
“That’s great!” yipped Lily happily. “Now I’ve got a friend next door, too!”
“Charlie, come on, let’s ask Mum if we can go next door and play with Jack and Lily,” said Sally’s voice from the other side of the fence.
“See you in a minute,” barked Charlie. He turned and ran over to his new owner, his long silky ears flapping.
Lily gave a little leap of joy then trotted off to find Jack. She was bursting with happiness.
Jack came running out to meet her. “Come on, Lil, race you to the rockery!”
“Wait a minute!” barked Lily, her tail wagging hard. “Our friends are coming round. We can all race together!”
