Runaway Puppydocshare04.docshare.tips/files/5543/55438329.pdfpuppy!” “Oh. Right,” Kate said. “¡Buena idea!” Dora turned the belt into a collar and a leash for the puppy

The Runaway Puppyby Ellie O’Ryan

illustrated by Kellee Riley

Simon Spotlight/NickelodeonNew York London Toronto Sydney

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Chapter One

Bzzzz!When the intercom buzzed, Dora jumped

up to answer it. “¿Hola?” she asked.“Hey! It’s me!” a familiar voice called

back. “Buzz me in!”Dora grinned as she pressed the buzzer.

She knew that voice. It was one of her best friends, Kate!A few moments later there was a knock

at the door. “Hola, Kate!” Dora cried as she opened the door.

“Hi!” Kate replied. “Who’s ready to go to the park?”

BASED ON line TK

SIMON SPOTLIGHT/NICKELODEON An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020Licensor Copyright Info TKAll rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.SIMON SPOTLIGHT and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected] in the United States of America TKTK XXXFirst Edition 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN 978-1-4424-0806-7

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“Park! ¡El parque!” cried Dora’s little brother and sister, Guillermo and Isabella. The twins ran up to Kate and hugged her.

“I think we’re ready!” Dora said as she looked in her bag. “Hats? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Water bottles, snacks, and sunblock? Check, check, and check!”

“Don’t forget these,” Kate said as she wig-gled her fingers. “An extra pair of hands!”

Dora laughed. “Forget them? No way! I’m counting on your help when the twins start running in opposite directions!”

Isabella and Guillermo scrambled into their double stroller and waited for Dora to buckle them in.

Just then Papi stuck his head out of his office. “Hola, Kate!” he said. “Enjoy the park!”

“We will! Thanks!” Kate called back. “¡Hasta luego!” they all yelled in unison.

Dora pushed the stroller down the hall to


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Explorer Girls. They were all really different, but they had one important thing in common: they loved living in Puerto Verde and wanted to help make the city even better. In only a few weeks the Explorer Girls had planted flowers in the park, organized a bike-a-thon, and cleaned up the beach—together! But Dora knew that they’d just gotten started!

Dora’s friends weren’t the only reason she loved living in Puerto Verde. She loved her family’s apartment with its pretty terrace and view of the ocean. She loved that her grandmother, Abuela, lived right upstairs. And Dora loved the city itself with its color-ful buildings, tall palm trees, and cool ocean breezes. In Puerto Verde it always felt like something exciting was just about to happen!

After they stepped off the elevator Dora pushed the stroller outside into the bright morning sunshine. The park was just a couple of blocks away, right across from the beach.

the elevator. While they waited for the elva-tor, she said, “Thanks for helping me take the twins to the park, Kate. Mami left for a conference yesterday, and Papi gets a lot more work done when the apartment is quiet.”

“No problem! I love little kids,” replied Kate. “They make a great audience!”

Isabella tugged Kate’s hand as the eleva-tor arrived. “Story!” she cried. “Tell us a story, Kate!”

Kate’s eyes twinkled as she launched into the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The twins loved the way Kate acted out every part—even the wolf!

Dora grinned at Kate and thought, I’m so glad she’s my friend! Kate was one of the great friends Dora had made since her family had moved to the city of Puerto Verde. She also became close with Alana, Emma, and Naiya. Together the five girls called themselves the


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Everyone listened quietly. Suddenly a howl pierced the silence.

Aw-rooooooo! “Who—or what—was that?” Kate asked.“I don’t know,” replied Dora, her brown

eyes sparkling with excitement. “But I’m going to find out!”

It was a perfect day to spend outside—and it looked like most of the people who lived in Puerto Verde agreed. As they walked, Dora saw people skating, bike riding, and enjoying the beautiful day.

But the twins weren’t interested in any of that. They were focused on only one thing. “¡El parque!” they yelled as soon as they saw the tall, twisty slide.

Dora and Kate smiled as they lifted Isa-bella and Guillermo out of the stroller. As soon as they were on the ground, the twins raced off.

“Hey! Wait for us!” Dora called as she and Kate ran after them.

Suddenly Isabella stopped running. She scrunched up her little face.

“Isabella?” asked Dora. “¿Qué pasa?”“I heard something,” she said. “Shhh,” Dora said. “I hear something too.

I wonder what it could be.”


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she stepped closer to the bushes. Dora took a deep breath and peeked under a bush with big pink flowers.

Suddenly a furry creature bounded out of the bush! It ran right past Dora and headed straight toward Kate and the twins!

“¡Un perrito!” exclaimed Dora. “It’s a little puppy!”

“A little puppy with a great big howl,” Kate added.

Everyone laughed as the puppy grabbed Guillermo’s hat in his mouth and jumped around.

“Where did you come from?” Dora asked the puppy. “Do you have a home?”

“He doesn’t have a collar or tags,” Kate pointed out.

“Poor little puppy, you need somebody to take care of you!” Dora cooed. “I wish I could keep you, but I already have my own dog.”

“I’d keep him if I could,” Kate said. “But

Chapter Two

Dora grabbed the twins’ hands and walked through the park, peeking under the swings and over the slide. “¿Hola?” Dora called.

But no one was there.“Do you think it’s a pirate ghost searching

for buried treasure?” Kate asked excitedly. “Or a lost mermaid trying to get home?”

“Probably not,” Dora giggled. Kate’s imag-ination was always running away with her!

Dora took a few steps closer to the palm trees and heard the noise again—louder this time. She could feel her heart pounding as


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Kate had wrapped around her waist several times.

“¡Claro!” Kate replied as she took off her belt. “It will look great with your capris!”

“I’m not going to wear it,” Dora said with a smile. “I want to use it as a leash for the puppy!”

“Oh. Right,” Kate said. “¡Buena idea!”Dora turned the belt into a collar and a

leash for the puppy while Kate settled the twins back in the stroller. On the way to the animal shelter they stopped by Dora’s apart-ment to leave the twins with Papi and tell him where they were going. As they walked, Dora remembered something. “Doesn’t Alana volunteer at the shelter on Saturdays?” she asked.

“Ooh, you’re right! Maybe we’ll see her there,” replied Kate.

Sure enough, when they got to the animal shelter, they found Alana playing outside

my mom is allergic to dogs.”“Well, we can’t leave him here,” Dora

said. “Hmm. I know! Let’s take him to the Puerto Verde Animal Shelter. I just wish I had a leash.”

Then Dora noticed Kate’s stylish outfit—which gave her an idea.

“Kate, can I borrow your belt?” Dora asked, pointing to the thin braided belt that


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puppy or cuddly kitten. Dora was surprised to see so many animals without homes. “Do you think it will take a long time to find a home for this puppy?” she asked.

Señora Alvarez smiled, but her eyes looked worried. “It’s hard to say. Adoptions have been pretty slow lately,” she admitted.

Dora couldn’t bear to think of the sweet little animals waiting day after day for some-one to adopt them. “There’s got to be some-thing we can do,” she replied. “I just know that people would adopt the animals if they saw how wonderful they are.”

Suddenly Dora gasped. “That’s it!” she exclaimed. “Let’s have a party where people can meet the animals and adopt them!”

“Buena idea, Dora!” Señora Alvarez said. “But we’re really shorthanded already. We would need a lot of help to make it happen.”

“This sounds like a job for the Explorer Girls!” Dora cheered. “I’m sure all of the

with a pair of beagles. “¡Hola, chicas!” Alana exclaimed. “What brings you here?”

“We found this puppy in the park,” Dora said. “But neither one of us can keep him. So we brought him here.”

“Oh, he’s so cute!” Alana squealed. “Let’s bring him inside to Señora Alvarez. She runs the shelter, so she’ll know what to do with this little guy.”

Dora and Kate followed Alana into the shelter where they found Señora Alvarez working at her desk. Alana introduced Dora and Kate to Señora Alvarez and explained all about the puppy they had found.

“What a handsome little fellow!” Señora Alvarez exclaimed as she scratched the pup-py’s ears. “Thanks for bringing him in. We’ll get him checked out by the vet and ready to be adopted.”

Dora could see rows of cages behind Señora Alvarez. Each one contained a lovable


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girls would love to help with such an impor-tant event!”

“My mom works at the Arco Iris Café,” Alana spoke up. ”Maybe they’ll donate refreshments.”

“What about Emma’s band?” Kate added. “They could put on a concert to help bring out a crowd!”

Señora Alvarez smiled. “It sounds like you guys are going to be great volunteers!” she said. “Now when do you want to have this party?”

“How about next Saturday?” asked Dora. “¡Perfecto!” Señora Alvarez said. “Thank

you so much!” “We’ll come over every day after school

to help get ready for the adoption party,” Dora promised. “I can’t wait to tell the rest of our friends!”

“And feel free to come play with the puppy you found too,” Señora Alvarez said.

“I know he’d love the company.”“Whoa—is it noon already?” Kate asked

suddenly. “I’ve got rehearsal for the drama club! Dora, call me later, okay? ¡Hasta luego!”

“The vet is here today,” Señora Alvarez said to Dora and Alana. “Why don’t you take the puppy to her for a checkup?”

“Okay! Come on, Dora,” Alana said. Dora gave the puppy a hug. “We have to

make sure you’re healthy, little guy!” she said.


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Chapter Three

While the vet examined the puppy, Dora and Alana spent time with some of the other animals. They walked the dogs, cleaned the cages, and gave the kittens lots of cuddles. Dora breathed a sigh of relief when the vet told her that the puppy was in perfect health. “I’ll see you tomorrow, little guy,” Dora promised as she tucked a blanket around the tired puppy. Then Dora and Alana waved good-bye to Señora Alvarez.

“That was great,” Dora said as they walked home. “I loved taking care of all of

the animals.”“¡Yo también!” Alana said. “I volunteer

there every Saturday when I don’t have a soccer game. And the best part is when somebody adopts an animal! Everybody’s so happy!”

“I can’t wait for the adoption party!” Dora exclaimed as they reached her building. “I’m going to e-mail the rest of the Explorer Girls right now.”

“Hasta luego, Dora!” said Alana. Inside Dora’s apartment the delicious

smell of Papi’s arroz con pollo wafted from the kitchen. “Mmm! Dinner smells so good, Papi!” she called.

“Gracias, Dora,” Papi answered. “Would you please set the table?”

“Sure thing!” Dora replied. After Dora finished setting the table,

she sat down at her computer to write an e-mail.


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She couldn’t wait to hear back from her friends!

* * *When Dora got to the Arco Iris Café the

next day, Alana was waiting for her. “Hola, Dora!” Alana called. “I came into

work with my mom this morning and guess what! Nobody reserved the private court-yard, so we can use it!”

“¡Fantástico!” Dora said. The breezy courtyard, which was full of beautiful tropi-cal plants, was often reserved for private parties. But when no one else was using it, the Explorer Girls got to hang out there. It was one of Dora’s favorite places in Puerto Verde. When they got to the courtyard, there was a surprise waiting for Dora—the frisky, frolicking puppy she had found!

“Hi, boy!” Dora cried. “What are you doing here?”

“I stopped by the animal shelter to take

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Before she sent the e-mail, Dora uploaded a picture of the puppy from her cell phone. She was eager to show him to Naiya and Emma.

“Dora! Dinner’s ready!” Papi called.

Dora hit SEND and hur-ried into the kitchen to help Papi serve dinner.


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you might get hungry while you worked,” she said.

“What are those?” Kate asked, pointing to a plate. “Cookies?”

“Kind of,” Alana giggled. “They’re dog biscuits! Mom and I baked them last night!”

She offered a biscuit to the puppy, who gobbled it up and started running in circles, begging for more!

“He sure has a lot of pep,” Alana’s mom remarked.

“That’s it!” Dora exclaimed. “We can call him Peppy! Peppy the puppy!”

“That’s a great name!” Emma said.“It’s perfect!” added Naiya.“What do you think, little Peppy?” Dora

asked. “Do you like that name?”As if on cue the puppy barked and licked

Dora’s face.“Or maybe you just want another biscuit!”

Dora laughed. Peppy ate another biscuit, then

him for a walk, but when I realized what time it was, we both hurried over here,” Alana replied.

“Now Emma and Naiya can meet him too!” Dora said.

“Meet who?” Naiya asked as she walked in with Emma and Kate. “Oh, my gosh! Is this the puppy? He’s even cuter in person! Or in dog, I guess.”

The puppy bounded up to Naiya and started licking her ankles. “Ah! That tickles!” Naiya laughed.

“We can’t keep calling him ‘puppy,’ he needs a name.” Dora said. “Any ideas?”

“What about Buster?” asked Kate.“Hmmm . . . maybe something cuter,”

Emma suggested. “Like Fluffy?”“That sounds like a name for a cat,” Naiya

replied.Just then Alana’s mom walked in, carrying

a tray of smoothies and snacks. “I thought


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another idea! What if we had a raffle to raise money for the animal shelter? We could ask stores and restaurants to donate prizes.”

“I love it!” said Naiya. “I’ll help you.”“Gracias, Naiya!” Dora replied. “Señora

Alvarez is handling everything else. But there’s one more thing to discuss—Peppy! We all should spend as much time with him as possible.”

“Let’s each take a different afternoon this week,” Kate suggested.

“¡Buena idea! Peppy will get lots of love and attention,” Dora said happily.

Everything was working out perfectly!

curled up in Dora’s lap.“Okay! Let’s get to work,” Dora said. “I

made a list of everything we have to do before the adoption party. We need to make posters to put around town.”

“I can do that,” Kate volunteered. “Great,” Dora said. “And we’ll need food

for the adoption party.”“That’s all set,” Alana spoke up. “My

mom talked to the owner of the café, and he’s happy to donate food and drinks.”

“¡Excelente!” Dora replied. “Now what about entertainment? Em, would your band play at the party?”

“Yes, I think so,” Emma said softly. “Let me check with everybody to make sure they’re free.”

Dora gave Emma a grateful smile. Emma was very quiet, but she always did everything she could to help out. “Thanks, Emma,” Dora said. “Your band rocks! Oh, and I have


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English, and Spanish—and was learning a fourth, Mayan, from her parents.

“Let’s check it out,” Dora said. When Dora and Naiya walked into Très

Chic, they were surprised to find Kate and Peppy there!

“Look at Peppy!” Kate cried. “I thought he needed a little makeover before the party. So I brought him here and gave him a bath, and the owner helped me clip his nails and trim his fur! Doesn’t he look great?”

“¡Sí!” Dora laughed as Peppy leaped into her arms. “And he smells great too!”

“And guess what?” Kate added. “The owner offered to donate some fancy collars for the raffle!”

“¡Fantástico!” exclaimed Dora. “That’s the perfect prize for someone who’s adopt-ing a new pet!” Dora added the collars to the bags of prizes that she and Naiya had col-lected for the raffle. “We better head back

Chapter Four

After school the next day Dora and Naiya went to all of their favorite shops and res-taurants in Puerto Verde to ask for dona-tions for the raffle. In just a few hours they had received dozens of donations for the pet adoption party!

“Hey, look at that store,” Dora asked, pointing at a building across the street. “Très Chic Pet Boutique. Is that French?”

Naiya nodded. “It means ‘very fancy,’” she replied.

Dora was always impressed by the fact that Naiya spoke three languages—French,


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“¡Perfecto!” Señora Alvarez said. “I hate to cut this meeting short, but I have some paperwork to finish.”

“Do you need any help with the animals today?” asked Alana.

“Always!” Señora Alvarez replied. “They could use some exercise!”

Dora and the Explorer Girls let several puppies out of their cages and took them into the animal shelter’s yard. The girls had a great time playing fetch with the puppies.

“Hey, everybody!” Naiya called from across the grass. “Watch this!”

Dora, Kate, Alana, and Emma walked over to Naiya, who had spent the whole afternoon with Peppy.

“Sit,” Naiya said loudly.And Peppy promptly sat down!“Wow!” exclaimed Dora. The Explorer

Girls started to applaud.“Wait! We’re not done!” Naiya said with a

to the animal shelter,” she said. “These bags won’t hold any more donations!”

* * *A few days before the adoption party

the Explorer Girls gave Señora Alvarez an update.

“Here’s our schedule,” Dora began. “The adoption party starts at noon, so the refreshment area will be open then. Emma’s band will play at one o’clock, and right after that we’ll have a pet parade to show off the animals. Then we’ll have the raffle. And we have about a dozen volunteers who will walk the animals around all day until the party ends at six.”

“Girls, I’m so impressed!” Señora Alva-rez said. “What time can you get here in the morning to help set up?”

“I think we can be here by eight,” said Dora as she glanced at her friends. The other Explorer Girls nodded.


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ging faster than ever.“Wow!” Dora cried. “Naiya, how did you

train Peppy in three languages?”Naiya smiled and shrugged. “He’s a really

smart dog!” she replied. “He learned the English command so quickly, I thought I’d try Spanish and French too!”

Suddenly Dora had an idea. “You know what? I think it’d be great to take this smart pooch to show-and-tell at the twins’ pre-school tomorrow!” she exclaimed.

“Kids love dogs—and Peppy loves little kids,” Kate said with a laugh.

“Yeah, it will be hard to tell who loves it more —the kids or the puppy,” added Alana.

“Something tells me that everyone will have a great time,” said Dora as she cuddled Peppy.

grin. She leaned down to Peppy and told him in Spanish, “¡Siéntate!”

Amazingly Peppy sat again!When the Explorer Girls cheered, Peppy

jumped up to lick their hands. Then Naiya told Peppy to sit in French, “Assis!”

Once again Peppy sat down, his tail wag-


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twins’ classroom, Dora knocked softly on the door.

The teacher, Maestra Julia, stepped into the hall. “Hola, Dora!” she said. “Is this Peppy? What a sweetie! Thanks for e-mail-ing me to ask if it was okay to bring him to show-and-tell. The kids will love him! Wait here while I get them ready.”

Dora peeked in the window as Maestra Julia helped the kids sit in a circle. Then the teacher announced, “¡Atención, niños! Guillermo and Isabella’s big sister, Dora, has brought a very special guest for show-and-tell!”

Dora held open the door while Peppy pranced into the classroom. All of the kids gasped in excitement.

“Hi, everybody!” Dora said. “This is Peppy. Isabella, Guillermo, and I found him at the park last weekend!”

“Wow!” yelled Marcos, one of the twins’

Chapter Five

The next day Dora could hardly wait to take Peppy to the twins’ show-and-tell. Dora hurried to the animal shelter. Peppy was so happy to see her that he jumped up and down.

“Down, boy!” Dora said, laughing. “I mean, sit! ¡Siéntate!”

Peppy sat down right away.“Good Peppy!” Dora praised him. She

clipped on his leash and said, “Let’s go! ¡Vamos!”

Peppy trotted next to Dora as they walked to the preschool. When they reached the


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One by one the kids lined up to stroke Peppy’s silky fur. Little Marcos lingered. “I wish I had a dog like Peppy,” he said. “He’s the best dog.”

“He really is,” Dora agreed. “Thanks for petting him so nicely!”

“Boys and girls, let’s thank Dora for bringing Peppy to see us today,” Maestra Julia said.

friends. “I love that dog! Does he live with you?”

“No, Peppy lives at the Puerto Verde Animal Shelter,” Dora explained. “They take good care of animals who don’t have homes. We hope somebody will adopt him soon, though. Until then Peppy is learning lots of new things. Watch this!”

Dora showed the kids how Peppy could be commanded to sit down in English, Span-ish, and French. Soon all the kids were call-ing out “Siéntate” or “Assis” or “Sit!” Dora and Maestra Julia giggled as Peppy sat down, jumped up, and sat down again. He loved playing with the children! But eventually the little puppy grew tired.

Dora sat on the floor so Peppy could crawl into her lap. “Peppy is getting sleepy,” she explained to the kids. “I need to take him back to the animal shelter. But you can give him a gentle pet before we leave.”


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tonight,” Dora suggested. “There’s so much stuff! It will take hours to get it all done.”

“I can’t believe we used up all of the paint when we made the posters!” Kate exclaimed. “I’ll go buy more so we can make signs tomorrow. ¡Hasta mañana!” Kate waved good-bye and closed the door behind her.

“I was thinking that—,” Dora began, but she was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. “Kate must have forgot-ten something,” Dora said as she walked to the front of the shelter.

But it wasn’t Kate. A friendly-looking couple stood on the doorstep. “Hello,” the man said. “We’re looking for a dog—specifi-cally, a dog that knows commands in three languages?”

Dora’s eyes grew wide. “Peppy?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s the one!” the woman exclaimed. “My son, Marcos, met him at

“Gracias, Dora!” called the kids.“¡De nada!” Dora replied as she waved

good-bye. Dora carried sleepy Peppy all the way back

to the animal shelter. She knew that he was going to be so happy when he had a family of his own.

She only hoped that someone would adopt him soon.

* * *On Friday the Explorer Girls were full of

excitement. The adoption party was only one day away! They went to the animal shelter right after school.

“I can only stay for a little while,” Alana said. “I promised to help out at the Arco Iris Café this afternoon while the owners get all of the food ready for tomorrow. I saw the menu that they planned—everything is going to be delicioso!”

“Naiya, let’s organize the raffle prizes


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“Come with me,” Alana said. “There are some forms you need to fill out.”

Dora, Emma, and Naiya were quiet as the couple followed Alana, with Peppy trotting after them. “Wow,” Dora finally said. “So Peppy’s found a home of his own.”

“All thanks to you!” Emma said as she gave Dora a quick hug. “If you hadn’t brought him to the twins’ preschool, the Diaz family never would have met him!”

“Marcos is a sweet boy,” Dora said. “I think he’ll take great care of Peppy.”

“I’m really going to miss that puppy,” Naiya said.

“Yo también,” Dora sighed.Just then Señora Alvarez walked into the

room. “Great job, girls! The Diaz family will come to the pet adoption party tomorrow to take Peppy home!” Then she noticed that the Explorer Girls looked a little sad. “It’s always hard to say good-bye to the animals

preschool yesterday and can’t stop talking about him. Tomorrow is Marcos’s birthday, and we think Peppy would be the perfect birthday present!”

“Oh, Marcos is your little boy?” Dora asked. “Soy Dora. My brother and sister go to preschool with Marcos. In fact I’m the one who brought Peppy to school for show-and-tell!”

“¡Encantada! Soy Señora Diaz,” the woman said with a big smile.

“This is Peppy,” Dora said as the puppy pranced up to them. Everyone laughed as Peppy jumped right into Señora Diaz’s arms. “He’s very friendly, and he loves kids! I think he’d be a great addition to your family!”

“He seems like a wonderful dog!” Señor Diaz exclaimed. “Here, boy! Sit! ¡Siéntate!”

“I only taught him a few commands,” Naiya spoke up. “But he’s a quick learner. I bet you could teach him anything!”


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Chapter Six

The next morning Dora jumped out of bed before her alarm clock rang. The day of the adoption party had arrived at last! She dressed in one of her favorite outfits—a tan-gerine-colored dress with a twirly skirt—and hurried into the kitchen for a quick break-fast. Papi was cooking at the stove.

“¡Buenos días, hija!” Papi said. “What are you doing up so early?” Dora

asked. “I wanted you to eat a good breakfast

before your busy day,” Papi explained. “I made your favorite!”

when they leave,” she continued. “But do you know what makes it easier?”

“Knowing how happy the pets will be in their new homes?” Dora guessed.

“¡Exactamente!” replied Señora Alvarez. “And thanks to all of your hard work this week a whole bunch of pets will be very happy—very soon!”

“Then we’d better start sorting the stuff for the raffle,” Dora said. “Because the adop-tion party starts in less than twenty-four hours!”


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painting colorful signs to display around the party. Peppy’s leash was clipped to the fence, and the little dog seemed as excited as the girls. He ran around in circles, barking loudly.

“¡Hola!” Dora called. “You all must have gotten up even earlier than I did!”

“I could barely sleep all night!” Kate said as she bounced around. “I was too excited!”

“Hey, Dora, grab a paintbrush,” Emma called. “I hope these signs dry before we have to put them up.”

“Oh! That reminds me!” Kate exclaimed. “I got these awesome fabric-painting pens at the store yesterday. I want to add some fancy designs to Peppy’s collar. He should look extra-special since he’s going to be a birthday present today!”

Kate hurried over to Peppy. “Sit, Peppy. ¡Siéntate! Assis!” she called. But Peppy was

“Mmm, pancakes!” Dora said. “Yum!”“And I have some good news,” Papi con-

tinued. “Mami got an early flight home from the conference. She’ll be back this after-noon!”

“All right!” Dora said. “I can’t wait to see her!”

“I’ll pick her up at the airport with the twins, and then we’ll come to the adoption party,” Papi said.

“¡Muy bien! Just call my cell when you get there,” Dora replied. She ate the pancakes and gave Papi a kiss. “See you later!”

Dora hurried outside, practically skipping to the animal shelter. The golden rays of the early-morning sun made Puerto Verde look even more beautiful than usual.

When Dora arrived at the animal shelter, the gates were wide open as volunteers car-ried in tables and boxes of food. The rest of the Explorer Girls were in the courtyard,


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“And the Diaz family is bringing Marcos to pick up Peppy today! What are we going to tell them?” cried Alana.

“I’m so sorry,” Kate said miserably. “I never thought he’d run out the gate like that!”

“Of course you didn’t,” Dora replied. “It was an accident.”

“How are we—,” Emma began.But Emma was interrupted by a shout

from Dora. “¡Mira! ¡Mira!” she yelled, point-ing at the sidewalk.

Everyone looked down to see a trail of rainbow-colored paw prints on the ground.

“Peppy ran through the paint, so we can follow his trail!” Dora exclaimed. “All we have to do is catch up to him!”

The girls raced down the sidewalk, fol-lowing the paw prints through the streets of Puerto Verde. Suddenly right outside the city carwash the trail went cold.

too excited to sit; Kate had to repeat the command several times before he finally settled down. “Good boy,” Kate said as she unhooked Peppy’s collar.

Suddenly Peppy saw a squirrel running outside. He jumped up and started to run after it!

“Peppy, stop! Come back!” Kate shrieked.But the puppy didn’t pay any attention

to her. He bounded over the posters and stomped through the wet paint. Dora and Emma lunged for him, but the little dog was too quick. Before anyone could stop him, Peppy ran out the gate—and down the side-walk.

“Oh, no!” Dora cried. “Somebody, help!”But it was too late.Peppy was gone.“¡Qué terrible!” Emma moaned. “Poor

Peppy! He’s too little to be all alone in the city!”


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block away. Let’s go!”The girls hurried to the café. “Mom! Mom!” Alana called as she ran up

to her mother. “Have you seen Peppy?”But Alana’s mom shook her head. “No,

honey, I haven’t seen him. Did he run away?”“Yeah—just a few minutes ago,” Alana

replied. “Call me if he turns up, okay?”“I have an idea,” Naiya spoke up. “Peppy

loves different kinds of food! Maybe he went to the farmers’ market!”

“Oh, no,” groaned Naiya. “Peppy must have run through some puddles and washed the paint off his paws!”

“How will we find him now?” Kate cried.“Where would Peppy go?” Dora asked.

“Where was he running?”The girls were quiet for a moment. Then

Alana said, “He really loved those biscuits we gave him at the Arco Iris Café. Maybe he went there to get some more?”

“Maybe,” Dora said. “The café is only a


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would Peppy go? What does he love more than anything else in the whole, wide world?”

Suddenly Dora thought she knew exactly where Peppy was. She turned around and started running as fast as she could.

“It’s worth a try,” Dora replied. “Follow me!”

The girls ran three blocks over to the farmers’ market. They hurried through each aisle, peeking under every booth for Peppy.

But the puppy was nowhere to be found.“What now?” Emma asked.“We could try the Très Chic Pet Boutique,”

Kate suggested. “Peppy loved getting a bath there.”

“Let’s do it,” Dora said.Once again the girls ran down the streets

of Puerto Verde. Dora was starting to get worried.

What if they couldn’t find Peppy?What if the little puppy was gone forever?At the boutique Kate asked the owner if

she’d seen Peppy. But the puppy hadn’t been there.

“Come on, chicas,” Dora pleaded. “We need to think. What are we missing? Where


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looking for?” she asked. “Who’s Peppy?”“Peppy is a little puppy who got lost,”

Dora explained. “Will you help me find him?”“Sure!” the girl replied. Soon all of the

kids at the playground were searching for Peppy. The Explorer Girls arrived and helped look too.

The minutes ticked away, and Dora started to get even more worried. It looked like Peppy hadn’t returned to the park after all.

Suddenly a furry creature bounded up to Dora and jumped in her arms.

It was Peppy!“Peppy!” Dora cried. “You’re safe! Hooray!”Everyone at the playground cheered!“Dora, how did you know that Peppy would

come back here?” asked Kate.“I remembered how much Peppy likes

little kids,” Dora explained. “Remember how he played with the twins when we found him? And I never saw him happier than when I

Chapter Seven

“Dora! Where are you going?” Alana yelled.“¡Espera!” cried Kate.The Explorer Girls took off after Dora,

who ran down the beach. Her heart pounded in her chest. “Please be there, Peppy,” she whispered. “Please, please, please.”

In moments Dora arrived at the park where she and Kate had found Peppy a week ago. Dozens of little kids were running and jumping on the playground equipment.

“Peppy!” Dora yelled. “Peppy! Where are you?”

A little girl ran up to her. “Who are you


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her friends. Then she turned to Kate. “Let’s go help Señora Alvarez.”

As it turned out, Señora Alvarez was looking for them. “Girls! Look who’s here!” she called.

The Diaz family was with her! Little Mar-cos’s eyes grew wide when he saw Peppy. “Mom! Dad!” he yelled. “That’s the puppy who knows three languages! He’s the best dog ever!”

“Happy birthday, Marcos!” everyone cried. “¡Feliz cumpleaños!”

“I hope you like your birthday present,” Dora added as she handed Peppy’s leash to Marcos.

“Birthday present?” Marcos repeated. “Peppy is my birthday present?” A huge grin spread across his face.

Dora’s eyes sparkled with happiness as she watched Marcos play with Peppy. “You were right,” she said to Señora Alvarez.

took him to show-and-tell. So I guessed that he would come back to the park—since there are always lots of kids here!”

“I’m so glad you found him!” Alana exclaimed. “I was really worried.”

“So was I,” Dora said. “Now let’s get this little guy back to the animal shelter. The adoption party starts soon. Come on, Peppy. Your exciting day is just beginning!”

* * *When the Explorer Girls returned to the

animal shelter, Dora could hardly believe all of the activity. The adoption party had just started, and there was already a big crowd!

“I’ve got to find the band and warm up!” Emma exclaimed. “See you after the show!”

“I’d better go help at the refreshment stand,” Alana said.

“I’ll make sure everything is ready for the raffle,” added Naiya.

“¡Hasta luego, chicas!” Dora called after


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that! And so would the twins!”“Dora!” a voice called.It was Mami! Papi and the twins were

behind her.“Mami! You’re back!” Dora cried. She

rushed over to give her mother a big hug. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too, sweetheart!” Mami replied. “Look at all of this! You’ve been very busy while I was gone!”

“Everyone worked really hard,” Dora said.“It looks like today is going to be a huge

success,” Señora Alvarez said with a smile. “There’s already a line of people at the adop-tion table!”

Dora looked around. She saw all of the volunteers who had helped to make the adoption party happen, and all of the people who were opening their homes to the ani-mals. And she saw all of the animals who were about to start new lives with their very

“This part does make it easier to say good-bye.”

“We hope you won’t be saying good-bye to Peppy,” Señora Diaz spoke up. “Please feel free to visit him whenever you want. You can bring the twins for a playdate!”

“¡Muchas gracias!” Dora replied. “I’d love


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own families. Dora had never felt happier! She knew that she wanted to keep helping animals find homes of their own long after the adoption party was over.

“Come on,” she said as she grabbed Mami and Papi’s hands. “I want you to meet my animal friends.”

DEG Puppies 1P int_NICKversion.indd 56 12/8/09 6:09 PM

Documents

Runaway Puppydocshare04.docshare.tips/files/5543/55438329.pdfpuppy!” “Oh. Right,” Kate said. “¡Buena idea!” Dora turned the belt into a collar and a leash for the puppy