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      Wilshire and firefighters of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Credit 1

      The mysterious pup Credit 2

      Ryan Penrod looked down at the pup on the fire station’s doorstep. It was six o’clock on a March morning. He was about to start his shift at Fire Station 29 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Where had the pup come from?

      The pup looked up at Ryan. At that moment, he seemed to decide that Ryan was his new best friend. “Woof,” he said, wagging his tail.

      The other firefighters filled Ryan in. The night before, a girl and her parents had come to the fire station on busy Wilshire (sounds like WILL-shur) Boulevard. She was crying because she had to give up her puppy. The owner of her apartment building said the puppy could no longer live there. He made too much noise! He barked and whined, and he disturbed the other people who lived in the building. The building’s owner said the girl had to find the pup a new home immediately. Or she had to take him to the animal shelter. The firefighters wanted to help. They voted to let the pup stay.

      So that’s how the pup ended up at the fire station, and that’s how he got his name: Wilshire.

      Wilshire had a new name and a home, but no one knew what to do with him. He barked and jumped and ran around. “He was very excited and confused,” said Ryan. Wilshire wasn’t used to noises, like bells and sirens. He wasn’t used to big fire trucks. And there were so many people! Sixteen firefighters, including Ryan, worked at the station at the same time.

      Ryan began to take charge of the pup, which helped Wilshire to settle down. That night he slept in a dog bed beside Ryan’s bed at the fire station. He waited for Ryan to feed him the next day. But then he began to get into trouble. He snuck food from the firefighters’ table. He chewed on their boots. He slipped out the door and ran down the street.

      Ryan knew Wilshire needed to be trained. The pup was four months old, and no one had taught him to “come” or “sit.” No one had set boundaries. Wilshire was a breed of dog called a Dalmatian

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