A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray Read online

  “Hello, dear.” A stout woman stepped into the hallway, tracking snow in after her.

  “Would you like to take off your boots?” Susan asked, looking at the wet marks on the carpet.

  “Oh! Oh, yes, of course. It’s still so chilly out there,” said Mrs. Oliver, as she stooped down to slip off her boots. “I don’t know how you’re managing out here all by yourself in this cold.”

  Susan looked perplexed. “I have a furnace,” she said.

  Mrs. Oliver’s face colored. “I meant with the shoveling and driving and all.”

  “Mac is still coming by to shovel me out, just like always,” said Susan. “And they do seem to plow the roads so quickly nowadays. I never have to wait long before I can get out.”

  Mrs. Oliver had removed her coat. She hung it in the closet in the hall. Then she stepped into the living room. “Why, Susan, I see you’re getting ready for Christmas. That’s lovely. How did you get all these boxes in here?”

  “I carried them,” said Susan. “I can still —”

  “My heavens! What on earth is that?” Mrs. Oliver interrupted her. She was pointing at me.

  “It’s a dog.”

  “Well, I know it’s a dog, dear. I meant, what is it doing here?”

  “Her name is Addie and this is her home.”

  “Oh. Susan.” Mrs. Oliver looked deeply disappointed, as if Susan had chewed up a couch cushion. “Now how are you going to manage a dog? Where did she come from anyway?”

  “She’d been hanging around the house. She was nearly frozen to death. But I’ve been taking her to Skip, and she has a clean bill of health.”

  Mrs. Oliver didn’t seem to be listening. She had bent down and was running her hand through the carpet.

  “What —” Susan began to say.

  “I’m just checking for flea dirt.”

  “Flea dirt. Tsk.” Susan looked disgusted. “Addie does not have fleas.” She paused. “She does not have ear mites, either. Or the mange. She’s in perfect health. She’s just old.”

  “And so are you,” replied Mrs. Oliver, standing up. “Really, my dear. How are you going to take care of this dog? She’s too large for you to pick up. And she’s decrepit. Is she even housebroken?”

  “Of course she’s housebroken.”

  Mrs. Oliver sniffed. “Well, I’ll admit that the house smells fine.” Susan stared at her. After a moment, Mrs. Oliver turned away from Susan and approached me. I was curled up on the couch. “She seems a nice enough dog,” Mrs. Oliver said finally. “But really, Susan, have you thought this through? An old dog is only going to get harder to care for. What are you going to do if she can’t walk? Or if she becomes incontinent? If you ask me, you should take her to the shelter and let them find a home for her with younger people.”

  Susan drew herself up straight. “Mrs. Oliver,” she began, “Addie is good company —”

  “I’m sure that’s true.”

  “And furthermore …” Susan hesitated. “Furthermore … Oh, my. It’s starting to snow. You should probably be on your way. Before the roads get too slippery.”

  Mrs. Oliver glanced outside. “All right. But, dear, I suggest you think about what I said.”

  Susan planted herself in front of Mrs. Oliver and said firmly, “I will do no such thing. Addie is here to stay.” Then she crossed through the hallway and held the door open while Mrs. Oliver slipped into her coat and boots again and stepped onto the porch.

  “Have a good —” Mrs. Oliver said, but Susan had already closed the door. She turned to look at me. “Hateful woman,” she exclaimed, and I thought she said it rather loudly. She returned to the living room and sat next to me on the couch. “Did you understand any of that, Addie?” she asked, stroking my muzzle. “I hope not. But if you did, I just want to assure you that I have no intention of taking you to a shelter. You’re mine, and I’m yours, and this is our home.”

  That night Susan put me to bed in the kitchen as usual, and for a while I lay by the radiator and gazed outside. The moon must have been full because Susan’s yard was lit up, and I could see the new snow coating the tree branches. Suddenly, without knowing I was going to do so, I stood stiffly and walked to the bottom of the staircase. I looked up. The second story seemed far away, and I wasn’t used to stairs, although I had climbed Susan’s once or twice. I let out a sigh before I began to make my way up the steps. I knew where Susan’s bedroom was, and when I reached it I nosed through the partially open door, then stood on my hind legs and peered into the bed.

  Susan stirred, but she didn’t seem surprised to see me. “Hello, old lady,” she said. “What are you doing up here? You should be in your own bed.”

  I stared at Susan for a few more seconds, then dropped to all fours and attempted to jump onto the bed. It was very high, though, and I slipped back to the floor.

  “Oh, dear,” said Susan. She was as stiff as I was, and she moved slowly as she pushed back the covers, hung her legs over the side of the bed, and finally stood beside me. “Come on back downstairs.”

  I didn’t move.

  Susan smiled. “Oh, all right,” she said. She shoved a footstool next to me. “Here, use this.” She coaxed me onto the stool and placed my front paws on the bed. I jumped, and Susan shoved my rump up, and the next thing I knew I was crawling under the covers and Susan was climbing in beside me. We slept together all night.

  And that is how we have spent every night since then.

  It is another summer. Susan and I have lived together now for many changes of the moon. Every morning and evening we eat in the kitchen. At night we sleep in Susan’s bed. During the day we keep each other company, and now that the warm weather is here, we take short walks near Susan’s house. Recently Susan whispered to me, “Remember when I said the last thing I needed was a dog? Well, that wasn’t true, of course. I do need you, and I’m glad you’re here.”

  We’re sitting side by side on the couch when she says this, and I slide into Susan’s lap and heave a huge sigh. Many years ago, I thought my life would be whole if I could just find Bone again. But I didn’t find him. And Mother was gone, and Moon was gone, and I had decided I was complete on my own. Then I found Susan. I didn’t think I needed a human any more than Susan thought she needed a dog. It turned out that there was room in my heart for a human after all.

  The long-ago days — the days of Mother and Bone and the shed — have become fuzzy and have blended with images of Moon, of my travels, of other people and houses, of hiding places; a tangle of memories leading to Susan. I burrow into her side and listen to her heartbeat. With my eyes closed, I might be in the straw-filled wheelbarrow again, nestled against Mother, listening to the first heartbeat I knew. I open my eyes and tilt my head back to look at Susan’s lined face. She smiles at me, and we sit pressed into each other, two old ladies.

  A number of years ago, I began working with a local animal rescue organization. Since then, I’ve become acquainted with many wonderful people in my community, and I would like to acknowledge them and the selfless work they do every day. Among these people are Susan Roth, Helen Mendoza, Linda Takacs, and everyone associated with A.W.A.N., the Animal Welfare and Adoption Network; Dr. Orman “Skip” Leighton and the loving and dedicated staff at South Peak Veterinary Hospital; and Ann Gregory and all the other people who graciously act as foster caregivers to animals awaiting permanent homes. There are more people, many more — other veterinarians, other caregivers, other people who have started rescue groups, as well as the people at PETsMART who generously donate space in each of their stores as an adoption area for homeless animals. They are all to be commended.

  I would like to thank Robin Murphy, Vice President of Companion Animal Placement in Hoboken, New Jersey, for her thoughtful consideration of the manuscript.

  And I would like to mention Jean and Hal Anderson, who are the best neighbors anyone could ask for, and who, for eighteen years, gave Tico the rescue donkey the best home he could have asked for.

  Finally,
I want to thank Laura Ruth Godwin and Sadie Lynn Pupmore for turning me into a dog person.

  Ann M. Martin in the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Day of the week: Friday, when I have the whole weekend in front of me.

  Season: Winter — and I always hope for a lot of snow.

  Holiday: Christmas.

  Way to waste time: Watching television.

  Dog breed: I love mutts and mixed breeds.

  Dog name: Definitely Sadie!

  Color: Blue

  Vegetable: Peas, especially the ones I grow in my vegetable garden.

  Movie of all time: To Kill a Mockingbird.

  Baby animal: A kitten. Or a bear cub. Or a baby chipmunk. Okay, I love all baby animals!

  Q: How did you decide to write a story from a dog’s point of view?

  A: I love animals and have wanted to write an animal story for a long time. My dog, Sadie, was born to a stray dog who had been seen wandering along a highway median, almost ready to give birth to a litter of puppies. Magnolia, Sadie’s mother, was rescued, and she and her puppies were lucky, because they all found good homes, but I’ve often wondered what would have happened to Sadie if she had been born in the wild, what her life would have been like. I decided that if I was going to tell a dog’s life story, only the dog herself would know the entire story, so I wrote from her point of view. It was a fun challenge. Often while I was working on the book I would observe Sadie and wonder what was going on in her head.

  Q: Was there anything particularly challenging about writing Squirrel’s story?

  A: Actually, writing from a dog’s point of view gave me certain liberties. For instance, in order for Squirrel to tell her own story, she had to have acquired language, so I had the fun of imagining how that might have happened. On the other hand, dogs can’t communicate, at least not the way Squirrel does, but I wanted her story to be believable; she still had to be a realistic dog. I did some research on dog anatomy and behavior, and of course I was able to observe Sadie, but even so, I made mistakes. For example, about a third of the way through A Dog’s Life I remembered that dogs are partially color blind, so I had to go back to the beginning of the story and take out all the references to colors that Squirrel wouldn’t be able to see. Details like that took me by surprise more than once.

  Q: Along Squirrel’s journey, there are people who aren’t very kind to her. Do you think these people intended to be cruel, or did they just not know any better?

  A: Both. There are characters in the book who intentionally harm Squirrel and other animals; for instance, the kids who throw rocks at the dogs. And there are people who are guilty of neglect but who probably have no idea they’re doing anything wrong. The people who adopt Squirrel as their “summer dog” fall into this category. Sadly, in reality this happens frequently. People get a puppy or a kitten in the spring when it’s little and cute. But by the fall, the animal is larger and perhaps no longer so cute, and people’s lives become busier. So they abandon their pet, or turn it loose, thinking it can fend for itself, and that’s just not true. If you adopt a pet, you’re responsible for it for the rest of its life.

  Q: It’s very sad that Squirrel first loses her mother and then, not much later, her brother Bone. But along the way, Squirrel finds true companions. Is there a message here for all of us?

  A: Kids often tell me that they were disappointed that Squirrel didn’t find Bone at the end of the story. I wanted this to happen; in fact, Squirrel’s search for her brother was the theme of the story when I first began thinking about it, but eventually I realized this wasn’t realistic. Still, I wanted to show that Squirrel could have other companionship — that was very important, so first she finds Moon, and later Susan, her friend at the end of her long and adventure-filled life.

  Q: Have you ever rescued a stray dog?

  A: No, although Sadie’s mother was a stray, and I’d heard the story of Magnolia’s rescue. But I work with stray cats and have fostered several hundred over the years, so I’ve known plenty of abandoned and abused kitties. And one of my cats, Willy, was rescued when he was about five months old after he and another cat were tossed out the window of a car speeding down a country highway. (That’s where I got the idea for the chapter about Bone and Squirrel being thrown out of the car at the mall.) A friend of mine found Willy in a parking lot, fed him, and brought him to my house. At the time I had two cats and wasn’t thinking about getting another, but I couldn’t not take him! He’s nine years old now and has some health problems — probably as a result of his bad beginning — but he’s incredibly affectionate, and has a special bond with Sadie.

  Q: Was Squirrel based on a real dog?

  A: No, but many of the things that happen to her and Bone have happened to rescued animals I’ve known or heard about — Willy, for example. But Squirrel herself is made up.

  Q: What advice can you give to aspiring writers who want to write a story from an animal’s point of view but maybe don’t know where to begin?

  A: I think it’s important to focus first on the story you want to tell, and not necessarily on the fact that you’ll be writing from an animal’s point of view. In other words, do you want to write an adventure story? Or a fantasy in which the animals have special powers or can talk? Remember, too, that the animal can tell its own story, as Squirrel did (in her own words), or a narrator can tell the animal’s story, so think about whether you want to write in the first person or the third person. This should help you figure out where to begin!

  here are some others you might enjoy.

  Ann’s Top 5 Must-Read All-Time-Favorite Classic Animal Books

  Rascal by Sterling North

  The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

  Sounder by William H. Armstrong

  Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

  Stormy, Misty’s Foal by Marguerite Henry

  More Favorites

  Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

  The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

  The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

  James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

  The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

  The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

  Poppy by Avi

  Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

  Stuart Little by E. B. White

  The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

  Adopt

  There are lots of loving animals in need of a good home. (Of course, be sure to ask your parents first!) Experts recommend reading books and articles on the type of animal you think you would like to adopt before adopting so you will know if that animal will fit into your family’s living space and lifestyle. You will also want to learn about important things such as the animal’s temperament (keep in mind that the temperament of animals, such as dogs, can vary by breed), proper care, and behavior.

  You must also dedicate time every day to care for and play with your animal. It’s sad when a family adopts a pet and then no one wants to clean up after it, feed it, groom it, or spend time with it. So make sure you are committed and willing to do this first, for the rest of your pet’s life. Your pet will thank you! You and your family will also need to consider the cost of feeding and caring for an animal. Adopting is a big and important step!

  Volunteer!

  Even if you have all the pooches, kitties, and hamsters a kid could hope for, volunteering to help animals in need is always a worthy and meaningful activity. You can also get your friends and family members involved. Before you begin, ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for a list of national organizations, such as the Pet Adoption League or the Humane Society, that you can contact to
see if there are volunteer opportunities in your area. You can also ask your parents to help you search your local yellow pages for shelters or organizations in your area that could use volunteers.

  Volunteering can be fun (you might be a dog walker at a shelter, for example) but it’s also challenging. So, remember, before you sign up to volunteer, make sure you have the time and are willing to commit for the long term. Also, make sure a family member will be available to drop you off and pick you up if you live a distance from where you’d like to volunteer. After you’ve done all these things, call the number or visit with your parent and introduce yourself!

  Donate

  If you can’t volunteer in your area, there are lots of other ways to help all the cute and fuzzy critters out there who really need it. You can donate money! There are many really great organizations that help animals solely through donations from nice people like you who believe in their mission and are willing to support them. You don’t have to donate a ton of money — every penny counts. You can start by setting a reasonable goal for yourself, like contributing one week’s baby-sitting earnings a month or selling lemonade and cookies on a Saturday afternoon with the proceeds going to the organization of your choice.

  Remember that if you plan a fund-raiser, you’ll need to ask your parents first and, with their help, work out all of the details in advance to ensure it goes smoothly. And you don’t have to do it by yourself! Get your family and friends involved — it can be a lot of fun and everyone will feel great in the end about supporting a good cause. If you organize a fund-raiser, remember to tell people what you are doing and why! Folks will be much more willing to help if they know their money is going to a good cause.

  Remember, though, before deciding what animal charity to give your hard-earned cash to, ask your parents to help you find an organization that is deserving of your nickels, dimes, and pennies! When you’ve found an organization that you really, really like, then it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get started!