Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Mulligan's Second Chance
She looked like a cross between a collie and a dachshund. She was very timid, a beautiful dog, who was unsure what to think of humans. After all, she had to fend for herself for several months-finding food, staying safe-and now, this family had her living at their house.
They'd found her by the side of the road with damage to her leg. They didn't know what had happened, but Mulligan did. She could never tell them that she was near a car that pulled out of a driveway. The driver had left her lying there.
This kind family picked her up and wrapped her in a blanket. The next thing Mulligan knew, she was in a room with bright lights and getting very sleepy. She didn't remember anything else except waking up later in a cage, white cloths wrapped around her hip and legs.
She stayed in that cage for a few days. Several times a day, a sweet lady would come by to pet her and check the bandages. Each morning and night a young man would bring her food. In between, Mulligan mostly slept.
Then the day came when the family came back to get her. They gently carried her out to their car. Mulligan dozed as the car hummed along, finally coming to a stop at a large house on a lovely street. The house was set back among some trees and flowering azalea bushes.
The girl in the family lifted Mulligan out and placed her on a soft bed in their sunroom. She stayed and petted Mulligan for what seemed like an hour.
Mulligan lived with the family for several weeks. Each day, they'd feed her, pet her, and try to get her to play. Over time, Mulligan began to trust them and enjoy her time with them. She developed a routine of eating, sleeping, and playing. But, that was all to change.
One sunny afternoon, a man, woman, and a pre-teen boy came to the back porch. Mulligan heard her owner-lady telling them about her.
