One day, a black and white dog trotted into the Dog Library. He looked happy to be inside. Margaret the dog librarian had never seen him before, so she showed him around.
His name was Auto. Probably because he loved car rides.
Just for dogs
Margaret explained that the library was just for dogs. It wasn’t like a people library. Dogs didn’t have to be on good behavior when they were there. They could chew the books into pieces, bring muddy bones in from the library yard, and turn the water bowls upside down, all without getting in trouble.
And it was never quiet inside. There was usually a lot of barking and growling. But that was okay, that’s what dogs did.
People weren’t allowed inside the library unless they brought something the dogs really wanted, like comic books. The library didn’t have any of those. Or a bag of stuffed toys. There were never enough.
A look around the library
Margaret first took Auto to the library’s snack room. It was a popular place. Dogs gathered there to get treats and gossip with the other dogs.
Arthur, who delivered books to the library, was also in charge of the snack room. He made sure to put enough water in the water bowls and enough biscuits in the biscuit vending machine.
There were other kinds of treats too, but biscuits were everybody’s favorite. Another favorite was the dried meatballs. Least favorite were the fish sticks. Margaret didn’t know who put them in there. It was probably Stanley the Mischief Dog. He liked to play tricks.
The library yard
Next, Margaret showed Auto the library yard. The dogs went out there to run around, dig holes, and bury books. They chewed on small tree branches and peed wherever they wanted.
Auto dashed toward the mud pit. That’s what Margaret called it. It had a lot of buried books. Some dog collars too.
Margaret gave Auto one of the tags she had for new dogs in the library, especially if they looked lost. The tags said, ‘If lost take me back to the Dog Library’.
After all, it was a library just for dogs. And new dogs were always welcome.
