This is the eleventh entry in a series created by brave kid and me, more of which he and I will be working on together in the future. Please enjoy!(BTW brave kid, thank you very much for all of the story suggestions you've given me. I've had a lot of fun working on these stories with you, and I very much appreciate it. I look forward to writing future stories with you.) :)

It's a pleasant morning in New York City. Inside Dot's Puppy Pound, the Pound Puppies and Kennel Kittens are just beginning their day. Squirt, still clad in his pajamas, yawns slightly as he enters Niblet's room, thus finding the big sheepdog lying slumped in his bed, fast asleep with one paw folded on top of his big round belly. Squirt gently nudges Niblet, "Psst, Niblet! It's morning time."

"Hunh?" the big sheepdog mumbles. "I don't wanna go to school..." He then rolls over on his side.

Nothing daunted, Squirt quickly scrambles up on the bed and gently endeavors to lift Niblet to his feet; unfortunately, the big sheepdog soon proves to be too heavy to lift, and ends up falling on him. "Oof!"

"Huh?" Now wide awake, Niblet looks around him, thus observing Squirt's hands and feet sticking out from behind his own. "Curiouser and curiouser," he muses. "I go ta bed a dog an' wake up a octopus!"

"Uhm, Niblet..." Squirt says in a muffled(and slightly annoyed!) voice.

"Ohmigosh!" Niblet, suddenly realizing what's happened, hops to his feet, gently helps the Chihuahua up and gently brushes him off. "Gee, I'm awful sorry, Squirt."

"No problem..." a slightly dazed Squirt groans.

After the two dogs have changed into their regular clothes they then set about gathering the other dogs and cats together. Fluffy, who's just waking up herself, sits on the edge of her bed, observing that her tail's in an unkempt, frazzled mess(1). "Ughh...bed tail." She then opens her night stand, takes out a brush, and combs her tail until it's smooth, upon which she joins the group.

Once the dogs and cats(Save for Cookie and Strudel) are gathered together, they then seek out Dot to inquire about some adoptions.

The dogs and cats traipse through the halls, carefully weaving around the many small, merrily yipping and mewing puppies and purries filling the corridors. There had been many new arrivals at the pound as of late, but for some unknown reason, not many adoptions; the Puppies and Kittens had hoped to inquire of Dot for a potential solution. Lucky knocks gently on Dot's door. "Please come in." Dot replies kindly.

Lucky opens the door and, carefully avoiding another large group of pups and kittens, enters the room. ""Yes, we were wondering if we might ask about some adoptions, please..."

"We'll be right with you in a minute," replies Cookie who, along with Strudel, is stitching lace onto a dress worn by Dot, who's standing on a stepstool in between them. "Just as soon as we help Dot put the finishing touches on her ball gown."

"Gee Dot, you sure look pretty-like." Niblet says.

"What's the occasion?" Squirt inquires.

"Well, there's a big dance at school this Saturday," Dot explains. "I've so been hoping that Willy(2) might ask me to go with him." She shows the dogs and cats a picture of a boy about her age with short blonde hair.

"He is quite cute." Kugel notes.

"I'm sure he'll ask you, dear," Cookie says encouragingly. "You'd be simply perfect together." Dot smiles contentedly in response.

Suddenly, a loud rumble reverberates through the room, jostling a surprised Dot off of the stool; fortunately the dogs and cats are able to catch her just in time. "Wow, what was that?" Dot states in amazement.

"Maybe it's da mole people!" Niblet exclaims. The group looks at him oddly. "Well, it COULDA been the mole people..."

Looking out the window, Cookie soon discovers the source of the noise. "There's a road crew working out there; they seem to have the entire street closed down!"

"Ooh, this is real bad-like," says a very worried Niblet. "Now how'll we find homes fer all these li'l guys if no one can get inside?"

"Mmn," Lucky muses, rubbing his chin. "Something seems very suspicious about all of this..."

(1)A nod to a scene at the beginning of Disney's Cinderella where one of the mice wakes up to find his tail in a tangled mess.

(2)He first appeared in the episode, "Good Dog McLeish."