The Lonely Pony

  For Gerri, Ben, Van Gogh, Cassie, and Jack

  C.H.

  At the Shelter

  “Oh my gosh, this bunny has to be the cutest animal I’ve ever seen!” Lolli Simpson exclaimed.

  She was in the lobby of the Third Street Animal Shelter with her friends Janey Whitfield and Zach Goldman. The three of them were watching Zach’s mother examine a fluffy black-and-white rabbit who was a new shelter resident. Dr. Goldman was a veterinarian with a busy private practice. But she made time each week to donate her skills to the shelter.

  Zach looked at Lolli and grinned. “Really?” he said. “Cuter than Roscoe?”

  Roscoe was Lolli’s dog. He was part Lab, part Rottweiler, and part who-knew-what.

  Lolli smiled at Zach. “Okay, the bunny is one of the cutest animals I’ve ever seen,” she said.

  But she knew Zach was only teasing her. He loved to joke around and play pranks.

  Janey reached out and stroked the rabbit’s fur. “He’s so soft,” she said. “I’ve never seen a rabbit at the shelter before.”

  “We do get some in from time to time,” said Kitty, the kids’ favorite shelter worker. She was a lively young woman with a blonde ponytail. “They can be a little tricky to adopt out.”

  “Why?” Lolli giggled as the rabbit’s little nose twitched. “He’s adorable! I already want to take him home myself.”

  “If Lolli doesn’t adopt him, maybe the Pet Rescue Club can help find this bun bun a home,” Zach said.

  The Pet Rescue Club was a group the three kids had started, along with their friend Adam Santos. The four of them tried to help needy animals in any way they could.

  “How did he end up here, anyway?” Lolli asked Kitty. “I can’t believe anyone would give up such a sweet pet.”

  Kitty sighed. “This little guy’s previous owners bought him on a whim last Easter,” she said. “They thought having a cute little bunny hopping around their house would be fun. But they weren’t prepared for how much work a pet like this can be.”

  “So they took him to the shelter?” Janey said with a frown. “That’s vile.”

  Vile was Janey’s new favorite word. She liked to use interesting or unusual words whenever she could.

  “How much work could a little bunny like this be?” Lolli wiggled her nose at the rabbit, then smiled as he wiggled his nose in return.

  Dr. Goldman glanced up from examining the rabbit’s long, floppy ears. “Actually, rabbits require somewhat specialized care,” she said. “They need safe housing, and they do best with certain types of foods, and of course every species has its own health and behavior issues.”

  “Okay, I get it.” Lolli tickled the bunny under the chin. “But it would be worth it to have such a cutie pie around the farm! I think I’ll ask my parents if I can adopt him.”

  “Really? That would be fab.” Janey looked a little bit wistful, and Lolli knew exactly why. Janey’s father was severely allergic to animals, so Janey couldn’t have any pets at home. That was how the Pet Rescue Club had come to be. Janey had started a blog asking people to share their cutest pet photos. Someone had posted a picture of a sad, neglected dog named Truman. Janey and her friends had helped Truman find a new home with their homeroom teacher, Ms. Tanaka. The rest was history!

  Dr. Goldman gave the bunny one last pat, then stepped back. “He seems healthy,” she told Kitty.

  “Great. I’ll take him back to his cage.” Kitty picked up the rabbit, who snuggled into her arms. “Lolli, if you really think you might like to adopt him, we can talk about rabbits’ special needs later.”

  “Okay, thanks,” Lolli said. “I need to ask my parents first.”

  “It’ll be cool if you get a pet rabbit,” Janey said after Kitty had left with the rabbit and Dr. Goldman had gone into the dog room to check on a patient. “I wonder if we could teach him some tricks.”

  “Yeah, like riding my skateboard!” Zach said with a laugh. “Wait, can rabbits walk on a leash like dogs do? Maybe Adam should expand his business to include walking rabbits, too!”

  Adam had a successful pet-sitting and dog-walking business, even though he was only nine. He was a good dog trainer, too. He’d helped Truman learn how to behave better before Ms. Tanaka adopted him.

  Janey frowned. “Speaking of Adam, where is he?” She checked her pink watch. “He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago for our meeting.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Lolli said. “Saturday is always a busy day for pet sitting. I think he said he had to walk a few dogs after lunch.”

  “Well, I hope he hurries up and gets here.” Janey sounded impatient. “We need to figure out how to find more animals to help, and the weekend’s almost half over already!”

  Zach pointed at the shelter’s front door. “Your wish is our command,” he said. “Here comes Adam now.”

  Adam hurried in. “Sorry I’m late,” he said breathlessly. “But I have to tell you guys about—”

  “We thought you’d never get here!” Janey interrupted loudly. “I was about to start the meeting without you.”

  “Okay,” Adam said. “But—”

  “This is a very important meeting, you know,” Janey went on. “Nobody has contacted us since we helped that cat, Hallie, last week. I’m sure there are lots of animals that need our help, but we can’t help them if we don’t know about them, right? So I was thinking, maybe we should write something on my blog asking people to look for needy animals and e-mail us, or—”

  “Janey!” Adam broke in. His voice was louder than usual. “If you’d let me get two words in, that’s what I want to tell you!”

  Janey looked surprised at being interrupted. “Huh?”

  Adam took a deep breath. “I think I found an animal that needs our help,” he said, his voice its normal volume again. “I’ve noticed her a couple of times while I was out walking dogs. And today I made a special trip to see if she’s still there—that’s why I was a little late.”

  “Really?” Lolli said. “What kind of animal is it, Adam? Another dog?”

  Adam shook his head. “Definitely not a dog.”

  “A cat?” Janey said. “Or maybe a rabbit?”

  “I bet it’s an injured Bigfoot,” Zach joked.

  Adam just shook his head again. “Come with me and I’ll show you,” he said.

  A New Mission

  “Are we going to my house?” Lolli joked, peering out the car window.

  Dr. Goldman smiled at her in the rearview mirror. “I don’t know,” she said. “Adam? Should we turn down Lolli’s road?”

  “No, keep going straight,” Adam said. “It’s about a mile farther that way.”

  The Pet Rescue Club had asked Zach’s mother to drive them to see Adam’s mystery pet. Dr. Goldman had agreed, since she was finished working for the day. She was just as curious to see Adam’s mystery animal as everyone else!

  Adam had directed them to a rural area right outside of town. Lolli lived nearby on a small farm with her parents, where they grew organic vegetables and kept a sheep and a couple of goats. There were lots of other farms in the area, too. Some grew crops like corn or soybeans. But Janey preferred the ones with cows, horses, or other animals grazing in the fields. There was even a llama farm! Among the farms were some regular houses with extra-large yards.

  “Are we there yet?” Janey asked after another few minutes of driving.

  “Almost.” Adam pointed. “There—turn right onto that road.”

  Dr. Goldman turned onto a narrow, winding road with no sidewalks or street lamps. There were only a few houses in sight. After a short distance, Adam told her to pull over.

  “Is this it?” Janey asked as everyone climbed out of the car.

  She looked around. B
eside the road was a rickety fence, built half of wood and half of wire. It enclosed a small pen that was choked with weeds. There was a small, tumbledown shed in the middle and a plastic trough half-filled with slimy, greenish water near the gate. On the hillside beyond the pen was a much larger, grassy pasture where a small herd of dairy cows were grazing peacefully.

  “Are we here to rescue those cows?” Zach joked. “Because I don’t think they’ll fit in the dog runs at the shelter.”

  “Not exactly,” Adam said. “The animal we need to help is right in here.”

  He waved at the small pen. Janey looked at it again. The only animals she could see in there were some flies buzzing above the water tank.

  “Where’s the pet who needs rescuing?” Lolli asked. “I don’t see anything.”

  “The animal I saw is probably in that shed.” Adam leaned on the fence and whistled loudly.

  “I knew it!” Janey said. “It is a dog, isn’t it? Adam, I’ve heard you whistle like that to your clients a million times!”

  But Lolli gasped and pointed. “It’s not a dog,” she cried. “Look!”

  An animal had just stepped into view from behind the shed. Janey could hardly believe her eyes. Could that really be . . .

  “Oh my gosh!” she cried. “It’s a horse!”

  “No way.” Zach climbed on the lowest rung of the fence for a better look. “It looks like it shrunk in the wash!”

  Lolli smiled. “It’s not a horse,” she said. “It’s a pony!”

  Adam looked confused. “You mean a baby horse?”

  “Not quite,” Dr. Goldman said with a smile. “A lot of people think a pony is a baby horse. But a pony is actually a horse below a certain height, or sometimes it’s a certain breed.”

  The animal stepped farther out from behind the shed. Whatever you called her, she was the smallest equine Janey had ever seen! The pony pricked her little ears, then let out a high-pitched whinny and trotted toward them.

  “Aw, she’s coming to see us!” Janey said. “Here, pony pony!”

  “Careful, kids,” Dr. Goldman said. “Some ponies bite.”

  Janey hardly heard her. The pony reached the fence and stuck her muzzle through the wire. When Janey touched the pony’s nose, it felt as soft as velvet.

  “She’s so cute!” Lolli exclaimed.

  “Yeah,” Adam said. “But look—her mane and tail are all messed up.”

  Janey saw that he was right. There were brambles tangled in the pony’s thick mane and tail. Her hair looked even more snarled than Janey’s did after swimming.

  “She does look a bit neglected,” Dr. Goldman said, peering through the fence at the pony’s feet. “Her hooves are long and chipped. And her coat’s not in great condition, either.”

  Janey glanced at the vet. “Wow, you know a lot about ponies! I thought you only treated cats and dogs and other regular pets.”

  “You’re right, I do specialize in small animals.” Dr. Goldman shrugged. “But I studied the basics of taking care of large animals in vet school, so I know a little.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of hard candy. “For instance, I learned that most equines love peppermints!”

  She unwrapped the candy and held it out, her hand flat with the palm facing up. The pony lipped it up and crunched it.

  “You’re right, she loves it!” Janey exclaimed. “I think she wants more.”

  The pony stretched her head over the fence as far as she could. Her ears swiveled back and forth excitedly, and she let out an eager nicker.

  Dr. Goldman laughed. “Sorry, girl, that’s the only one I have.”

  Adam smiled, too, but he looked worried. “I’ve seen this pony in this field every day since I started walking a dog near here last week,” he said. “But I’ve never seen anyone out here feeding her or brushing her or anything.”

  “Really?” Janey said. “That’s totally vile. What if she’s been abandoned?”

  Lolli gasped. “Abandoned? We have to help her!”

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions, kids,” Dr. Goldman said. “Ponies can get awfully messy in a short time. Maybe she’s been rolling in the brambles, and nobody has been by to groom her yet today.”

  “Come on, Mom,” Zach said. “If my hair looked like that, you’d have it tidied up lickety-split.” He grinned. “No matter how fast I tried to run away!”

  That made everyone laugh, including Dr. Goldman. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask around.”

  Janey said, “Okay, let’s go!”

  “Hold on.” Dr. Goldman put a hand on Janey’s arm. “I’m not sure we should wander around knocking on strangers’ doors.”

  “But we have to do something!” Lolli exclaimed. “We need to help this poor pony!”

  “We will,” Dr. Goldman said. “I was just going to say, a few of my clients live around here. We could see if any of them are home, and ask if they know who owns her. All right?”

  Janey smiled. She should have known Dr. Goldman wouldn’t let them down!

  “All right!” she exclaimed. “The Pet Rescue Club is on the job! So, let’s go!”

  Lola’s Story

  The first house they tried was a tidy farmhouse with a big front porch right next to the pony’s pen. When Dr. Goldman knocked on the door, the sound of excited yapping came from inside.

  “Wow,” Adam said. “It sounds like these people have a lot of dogs.”

  “Five,” Dr. Goldman said with a smile. “The Valentines love dogs. They’re among my best clients.”

  A moment later, a plump, pleasant-looking man opened the door. He was in his late sixties, with a bushy gray mustache. Five little dogs danced around his legs.

  “Dr. Goldman!” the man exclaimed with a smile. “What a nice surprise! Look, gang, your doctor’s here!”

  “Oh, your dogs are so cute!” Janey blurted out, bending to pat them as they leaped excitedly around her.

  “Hello, Tom,” Dr. Goldman said. “Sorry to bother you on a Saturday.”

  “No bother at all!” He beamed at her. “What can I do for you, doc?”

  “We noticed the pony in the pen over there,” Dr. Goldman said. “Do you happen to know who owns her?”

  The man looked surprised. “As a matter of fact, we do. Her name is Lola.”

  “Really?” Lolli giggled. “That sounds almost like my name!”

  Meanwhile, Janey traded a surprised look with Adam. Mr. Valentine seemed really nice, and his dogs looked happy and healthy. He definitely didn’t seem like the type of person who would mistreat a pony on purpose. What was going on?

  “This is Lolli, Tom,” Dr. Goldman said. “She’s practically your neighbor—her family lives on one of the farms over on Crooked Tree Road.” She went on to introduce the other three kids.

  “Nice to meet you all,” the man said. “I’m Tom Valentine.”

  “Tom?” a woman’s voice called from inside. “Who is at the door?”

  A moment later the woman appeared. She was just as plump and pleasant looking as her husband, with wavy hair and bright blue eyes.

  “This is my wife, Val,” Tom told the kids. “Val, Dr. Goldman and her friends were asking about Lola.”

  “I didn’t realize you two had a pony,” Dr. Goldman said. “Have you had her long?”

  “Just a few months,” Val said. “Why don’t you have a seat on the porch and I’ll fetch some lemonade. Then we can tell you all about her.”

  A few minutes later, Dr. Goldman and the Pet Rescue Club members were settled in comfortable wicker furniture with tart, tasty glasses of lemonade. The little dogs were there, too. Two of them were snuggled in Janey’s lap. Zach was playing fetch with a third, while the other two took turns running back and forth between Lolli and Adam.

  “So,” Janey said, scratching one of the dogs behind his silky ears. “Where did you get Lola?”

  “She came from the racetrack,” Val said.

  Zach laughed. “What? That tiny pony was a racehorse? No way!”


  “With those short legs, she must have lost every race,” Lolli said with a giggle.

  Val laughed, too. “No, Lola wasn’t a racehorse, but she lived with one.”

  “That’s right,” Tom said. “You see, Lola was a stall companion to a thoroughbred racehorse named Red.”

  “A stall companion?” Janey wrinkled her nose. “What’s that?”

  “She was there to keep Red company,” Val explained. “All the sights and sounds of the track made him nervous, but having Lola in the stall with him kept him much calmer and happier.”

  Dr. Goldman nodded. “I know what you mean. Part of my clinical work in vet school took me to the racetrack. On one of my visits there I vaccinated and dewormed a goat who was the companion to a pretty successful racehorse.”

  “Wow,” Janey said. She’d never heard of such a thing! “So why isn’t Lola still at the racetrack helping Red?”

  “Because Red retired from racing a few months ago,” Val said, taking a sip of her lemonade. “His owners gave him to a young local woman who retrains racehorses for new careers as riding horses.”

  “I’ve heard about that,” Lolli said. “My parents donated some hay to a group that helps racehorses find new homes after they’re retired.”

  “Yes, well, this young woman does marvelous work,” Tom said. “At least that’s what Red’s old racing trainer tells me. Unfortunately, Red’s new trainer wasn’t able to take Lola. And his old race trainer had no use for Lola once Red was gone, since none of his other horses needed a companion.”

  “Poor Lola,” Adam said.

  “Yeah,” Zach said. “She got laid off from her job, and had nowhere to go.”

  “Exactly.” Tom poured everyone a little more lemonade. “The race trainer is an old fishing buddy of mine, and he knows that Val and I are animal lovers.” He smiled and bent to pat one of the little dogs. “Obviously!”

  “Tom had also mentioned to him how I loved reading horse books as a child,” Val put in. “So he asked if we’d be interested in having Lola.” She sighed. “The trouble is, he didn’t tell us just how much time, money, and hard work it takes to keep a horse—even a small one!”