Mary Quattlebaum - National Geographic Kids Chapters - Together Forever - True Stories of Amazing Animal Friendships!

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Art directed by Callie Broaddus

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Trade paperback

ISBN: 978-1-4263-2464-2

Reinforced library edition

ISBN: 978-1-4263-2465-9

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-4263-2466-6

v3.1

Version: 2017-07-11

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Copyright © 2016 National Geographic Partners, LLC All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Since 1888, the National Geographic Society has funded more than 12,000 research, exploration, and preservation projects around the world. The Society receives funds from National Geographic Partners LLC, funded in part by your purchase. A portion of the proceeds from this book supports this vital work. To learn more, visit www.​natgeo.​com/​info . For more information, visit www.​nationalgeographic.​com , call 1-800-647-5463, or write to the following address: National Geographic Partners 1145 17th Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-4688 U.S.A. Visit us online at nationalgeographic.​com/​books For librarians and teachers: ngchildrensbooks.​org More for kids from National Geographic: kids.​nationalgeographic.​com For rights or permissions inquiries, please contact National Geographic Books Subsidiary Rights: ngbookrights@ngs.​org NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and Yellow Border Design are trademarks of the National Geographic Society, used under license. Art directed by Callie Broaddus Designed by Ruth Ann Thompson National Geographic supports K–12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources. Visit natgeoed.​org/​commoncore for more information . Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4263-2464-2 Reinforced library edition ISBN: 978-1-4263-2465-9 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-4263-2466-6 v3.1 Version: 2017-07-11

PENNY AND ROO: On the Move! Penny is a chicken. Roo is a dog. They became fast friends. ( photo credit p1.1 ) Penny and Roo met at the Duluth Animal Hospital in Georgia, U.S.A. They’ve been attached ever since. ( photo credit 1.1 )

Chapter 1: Hospital Helpers

Chapter 2: Pup in Peril

Chapter 3: Let’s Go

MR. G AND JELLYBEAN: A Strange Case!

Chapter 1: What’s Wrong?

Chapter 2: Reunion

Chapter 3: New Friends

SIRI AND IRIS: Best Mates!

Chapter 1: Becoming Buddies

Chapter 2: Play Ball

Chapter 3: A Cheetah’s Best Friend

DON’T MISS!

More Information

Dedication

Credits

Acknowledgments

Penny is a chicken. Roo is a dog. They became fast friends.( photo credit p1.1)

Penny and Roo met at the Duluth Animal Hospital in Georgia, U.S.A. They’ve been attached ever since.( photo credit 1.1)

Dogs strain at their leashes. Cats meow in their carriers. A fluffy chicken scampers by in a diaper. Then a tiny dog wheels past in a special cart. The front desk of the Duluth Animal Hospital is busy! Many animals are brought here if they’re sick or injured. The veterinarians (sounds like vet-er-ih-NAIR-ee-enz) here treat all kinds of animals.

Their patients include dogs, cats, hamsters, lizards, turtles, even chickens. They help their animal patients feel better or give them shots to keep them from getting sick.

But the chicken and the little dog—called a Chihuahua (sounds like chi-WAH-wah)—aren’t patients. Penny and Roo work here. These two best friends welcome animal patients and their owners to the hospital in Duluth, Georgia, U.S.A.

The hospital staff appreciates their good work, especially Alicia Williams, their owner. Alicia works here as a receptionist. She helps patients prepare for their visit with the vets. So do Penny and Roo. Sometimes the patients are frightened or in pain. Their owners are worried.

But then Penny does something silly. She steals Roo’s treat and trots fast, fast, fast on her feathered legs. Roo chases her and tries to grab the treat back. People smile and laugh. The two friends are so funny that they help everyone—animals and humans—feel more relaxed.

Penny and Roo have been working together for three and a half years. How did these two unique friends get this special job? Penny came first. Alicia met Penny when she was taking a class in animal science. Alicia had to learn about what happens when animals are used in research, and she had to visit some places that did this work.

Research is an important way to learn more about both animals and humans. Here’s how it works. Scientists study a small group of research animals. They give the animals in the group a special diet or medicine. Then they carefully observe, or watch for, changes in the animals. Do the animals grow bigger? Do they get better?

The scientists gather the information. They write papers about what they have learned and publish them. Other people can read about their research and learn how to improve the food they grow or the medicine they make or give. Scientists and doctors often learn about the effect of certain medicines on humans by looking at how the medicines affect animals.

Penny was a research animal in a study on diet. Alicia saw her on the last day of the study. Now that the research was done, the scientists would no longer need her.

Did You Know?

There are more chickens—20 billion—than any other birds on Earth. They lay a trillion eggs a year.

Alicia looked at the young chicken. Penny was a beautiful hen! Instead of smooth feathers like most birds, hers were soft and fluffy. The feathers on her head and legs looked like a puffy hat and pants. Alicia wanted to give the hen a new home. “May I have her?” she asked the researchers.

And that’s how Alicia ended up bringing Penny to the house she shares with her parents, three sisters, five dogs, two cats, and four parrots. Everyone in Alicia’s family is an animal lover!

At first, Alicia didn’t know how to care for Penny. Parrots and chickens are both birds, but they require different care.