Pugsley by Ellen Miles Page A

first day, Aunt Amanda was smiling at Lizzie and telling her what a good job she was already doing. “I can see you’ll be a good helper, Lizzie. I may even need you to come up to Camp Bowser with me one weekend, if we have a lot of campers.”
    Camp Bowser! Lizzie couldn’t believe her ears. Ever since she had first heard about Camp Bowser, Lizzie had wanted to go there. What could be more fun than a sleepaway camp fordogs? When Aunt Amanda and Uncle James had moved from California, they’d also bought a cabin in the country. Every weekend they took five or six dogs along when they went up to their country place. The dogs could run around in a big fenced area, swim in the brook, or even do arts and crafts, just like kids at a regular camp.
    Going to Camp Bowser would be — well, it would be the best thing that ever happened to Lizzie!
    Well, maybe the best thing next to getting Buddy. Lizzie smiled as she thought of the little brown puppy that had come to live with her family. The Petersons had fostered lots of puppies, and Lizzie and her brothers, Charles and the Bean (whose real name was Adam), had wanted to keep every single one. But Mom and Dad said that the Petersons weren’t ready for a full-time dog. The Bean was just a toddler, and he needed lots of attention. Plus, Mom was more of a cat person.
    Then Buddy came along. The Petersons were caring for four dogs at that time. Lizzie had met a mother dog named Skipper plus her three puppies, Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Buddy, at the shelter. Cinnamon and Cocoa, the girl puppies, were very cute, and Lizzie was thrilled when they found forever homes.
    But it was different with Buddy. Buddy was special. He was a small puppy, the runt of his litter. He needed lots of love and attention. Everyone fell in love with Buddy: Lizzie, Charles, the Bean, Dad, and even — especially! — Mom. And when the time came to find Buddy a forever home, the Petersons all agreed that he would stay right there with them. Now Buddy was a part of the family.
    Buddy had gotten a little bigger, but he was still the cutest, sweetest pup Lizzie had ever met. She loved his soft puppy fur and his silky ears, and she loved to kiss the little white heart-shaped marking on his chest. Lizzie loved to take Buddyfor walks and to teach him new tricks — his latest was “roll over” — and she loved just lying with him on the couch, patting him while she read a favorite book. Lizzie loved
everything
about Buddy.
    But could Lizzie say good-bye to Buddy for a weekend, while she went to Camp Bowser with Aunt Amanda and Uncle James? Well, as long as she knew he would be there waiting for her when she got back, yes, she could.
    “Wow,” she said now to Aunt Amanda. “I would
love
to come to Camp Bowser.”
    “Well, we’ll see,” her aunt said. “Right now, we have some doggy guests arriving for our party. Want to help me get them settled?”
    Lizzie got to her feet and dusted off her hands. “Absolutely,” she said.
    Just then, the door to the play area opened. “Amanda, they’re here!” called Josie, one of the other helpers.
    Four dogs came through the door, into theindoor play area where Lizzie and her aunt were waiting. A golden retriever that looked just like Bowser walked in slowly, sniffing the air. A black-and-tan mutt ambled along behind her, shaking his long droopy ears. A cocoa-brown poodle tiptoed along elegantly, looking this way and that. And then,
zoom
! Lizzie laughed as she watched a little brown-and-black dog blast by the others and scamper around the play area, zipping from the jungle gym to the slide to the seesaw and back around. It was a pug! He snuffled and snorted and wagged his curly tail. He made three circles before he even paused to sniff Lizzie’s outstretched hand.
    “Awww!” she said, bending to pat the dog’s velvety black ears. He was just a puppy, really. His tan body shivered with joy as he licked her fingers. “Who’s this?” she asked Aunt Amanda.
    Aunt