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  The whole room exploded into another, even louder round of clapping, whistling, whooping and stomping.

  “Thanks to all of you, Best Friends for Life will be able to look after many, many more dogs, while we find them their forever homes.”

  Abi clapped and cheered louder than anyone else at this, grinning down at Lulu and Emily. She was so lucky to have her own best friends, and now she’d helped other people – and dogs – to find theirs.

  Abi bounced excitedly in the passenger seat of the pink Pooch Parlour van. She’d been looking forward to this day all summer – the day of the most exciting (and dog friendly) wedding of the year! Pop star Maria was getting married that afternoon to the celebrity chef Joey Henshaw. They had met while they were both walking their pet Dalmatians in the local park, and now those same dogs would be the ring bearers at their wedding!

  Most wonderful of all, Maria and Joey had asked Abi’s Aunt Tiffany to bring the staff of her luxury dog-grooming salon, Pooch Parlour, to the hotel to groom, dress and look after all the dogs attending the wedding. And since Abi was helping out at Pooch Parlour for the summer, she got to go too!

  On the back seat of the van, Hugo the miniature Dachshund and Abi’s dog Lulu, a Bichon Frisé, were in their travel crate ready for the drive. Aunt Tiffany had explained that the crate would keep them calm and safe during the journey and stop them from distracting her while she drove. They still had plenty of space, though, and at that moment they were both snuggled down in the travel crate, looking ready for the journey. Both dogs were dressed in special pink T-shirts with the Pooch Parlour logo on them – Mel, the wardrobe mistress, had ordered them especially for the big day!

  The back of the van was filled with boxes of things they needed to set up a mobile Pooch Parlour at the wedding venue. Abi bit her lip as she thought about what a busy – but brilliant – day they had ahead of them.

  “Right! We’re ready to go,” Aunt Tiffany said, climbing into the driver’s seat. “Mel, Rebecca and Kim will be wondering what’s happened to us! They left almost half an hour ago.”

  “Will it take long to get there?” Abi asked as Aunt Tiffany started the engine.

  “Not too long,” Aunt Tiffany promised.

  Abi stared out of the window as they drove, watching the busy streets and tall buildings of central London slowly fade into green fields and countryside. The dogs were so quiet that Abi suspected they had fallen asleep. She thought about closing her eyes – but she was far too excited to snooze!

  Finally, after what seemed like hours, Abi spotted the Washington House Hotel. The grandest, most beautiful house she’d ever seen, with ivy climbing its walls and a forest spreading out behind the building.

  Aunt Tiffany’s pink van came to a stop at the top of the long drive, in front of the hotel. Abi stepped out and looked up at the ivy, and the countless windows, and the chimneys that ran all along the roof. The Washington House Hotel was even bigger closer up!

  Aunt Tiffany went to talk to the man in uniform at the front of the hotel, so Abi opened the travel crate and let Lulu and Hugo jump down. She clipped leads on to both the dogs, just in case. Abi didn’t think either of them would run off, but she didn’t want to take chances today.

  With the dogs panting at her feet in the hot sun, Abi stood back and took in the amazing view around the hotel. Surrounded by fields and trees and blue skies with tiny bobbing white clouds, Abi could hardly believe that they were so close to London.

  “This place is incredible,” Abi whispered.

  “Isn’t it?”

  Abi looked up to see a younger girl wearing shorts and a T-shirt standing on the steps to the front door of the hotel. She had blonde hair in bunches, and freckles all over her nose.

  “I think this is the best place I’ve ever been. Ever! I’m Molly, by the way. I’m one of the bridesmaids – Maria’s my sister.”

  Molly was a bit shorter than her, and Abi guessed she was about seven. She smiled as Molly came down the steps, skipping with excitement.

  “I’m Abi,” she said, laughing as Lulu barked at her feet. “And this is Lulu. We’re here with my Aunt Tiffany – and this little guy is Hugo. Aunt Tiffany runs Pooch Parlour, you see. She’s responsible for grooming and dressing all the dogs today, and running the Doggy Daycare. And I get to help out.” She couldn’t help but smile with a bit of pride when she said that.

  “Really?” Molly breathed. “Oh my gosh, I love dogs! That must be the most exciting job in the world!”

  “It is,” Abi said happily. “When I grow up, I want to work with animals too. Aunt Tiffany says that helping out at Pooch Parlour this summer will be good practice!”

  “Wow!” Molly looked very impressed. Abi thought it was funny that a girl who was bridesmaid at the biggest wedding of the year was impressed by looking after dogs. “I really, really wish I could help too. Do you think your aunt would let me?”

  “I don’t know,” Abi said. Molly seemed very keen and eager to help, and she did say that she loved dogs. “We can ask her!”

  “Lulu, we’re here!” Abi bounced on her toes as she looked up at the powder-blue door with the words “Pooch Parlour” curling above it in silver letters. “We’re really here!”

  At her side, Lulu the bichon frise beat her fluffy white tail excitedly against the pavement.

  “Should we just go in, do you think?” Abi asked. There was a sign on the door saying “All Dogs Welcome”, but there was also one saying “Closed”.

  Before Abi could decide, Lulu pushed her head against the door, making the bell attached to it chime.

  “I guess we’re going in!” Abi laughed.

  Inside, Pooch Parlour was everything Abi had dreamed it would be. This was her first visit since Aunt Tiffany had moved the parlour to a bigger space in central London.

  She’d seen photos online, but they didn’t show the pictures of celebrities and their dogs on the walls, or the glass cases displaying every colour of grooming brush, all with sparkly diamonds in the handles.

  “Abi, darling. You found us!” Aunt Tiffany appeared through a shimmering curtain behind the reception desk. “So sorry I had to rush off this morning. There’s a lot to do before we open for the day! But now I’m all yours, until our first client arrives.”

  Abi smiled at her aunt as she bent down to unclip Lulu’s lead. “That’s OK. It is only just round the corner.” In fact, she could almost see Pooch Parlour from the window of her candy-striped guest bedroom, but Aunt Tiffany had still drawn her a map showing exactly how to get from her flat to the parlour.

  When Abi’s parents had first told her that she’d be spending the whole summer with Aunt Tiffany, while they were away in America, she’d been nervous. She’d never spent so long apart from her mum and dad before. But Lulu had bumped her head against Abi’s hand as if to say, You’ll still have me. We’ll be OK, and Abi realized that as long as she had Lulu with her, she’d never be lonely.

  And then she’d remembered Pooch Parlour and forgotten to be nervous altogether. A whole summer at Aunt Tiffany’s glamorous luxury dog-grooming salon sounded like far too much fun to waste time worrying!

  Abi and her mum had filled her best backpack with clothes, and they’d packed all of Lulu’s favourite toys in her own bag. And then, yesterday, the day had finally come! Mum and Dad had dropped her off at Aunt Tiffany’s, and Abi had hugged and kissed them, too excited to be upset about saying goodbye.

  At the flat, Abi and Lulu were welcomed by Aunt Tiffany and Hugo, her miniature dachshund, who’d been wearing his very best tartan dressing gown!

  As if he knew Abi was thinking of him, Hugo padded under the shiny pink curtain, dressed today in a stripy blue and white jumper that matched the one Aunt Tiffany was wearing. Lulu gave an excited woof when she spotted him and dashed over to press her nose up against his side. Hugo gave a doggy sigh and stared at Abi with big eyes.

  “Sorry, Hugo,” Abi said, with a shrug. “She likes you.”

  Aunt Tiffany
laughed, high and tinkling. “He likes her too, really. Lulu’s a lively one.”

  At the sound of her name, Lulu looked up and barked.

  “Dad calls her a bouncy cloud on legs,” Abi said, stroking Lulu’s head.

  “Bichon frises are very fluffy dogs,” Aunt Tiffany agreed. “She must take a lot of grooming.”

  “Every six to eight weeks,” Abi said. She’d read up on the best way to look after Lulu before she’d even been allowed to take her home. “Mum does it herself.”

  They were a doggy family, Mum always said. Dad wrote books about dogs – and he’d been invited on a book tour to talk about them in bookshops and pet shops all over America that summer. Mum, who was a vet specializing in looking after dogs and puppies, had gone with him, but they’d decided that Abi would have more fun staying with Aunt Tiffany. They’d promised to call her every night while they were away and Abi couldn’t wait to talk to them that evening. She’d be able to tell them all about her first day at Pooch Parlour. She wondered how many dogs she’d get to meet…

  Abi loved dogs more than anything, and she loved Lulu most of all! When she grew up, she planned to work with animals, just like her parents. But not to write about them, or look after them when they were sick. Abi wanted to work with animal actors – the dogs and cats and other pets that starred in some of her favourite TV shows and films. She had a feeling that a whole summer at Pooch Parlour would be fantastic practice!

  Aunt Tiffany tilted her head to study Lulu. “Your mum does a great job of grooming Lulu,” she said, reaching down to pet the fluffy white dog. “But how do you think Lulu would like to have a proper Pooch Parlour makeover? After all, she has to look the part, if she’s going to be a Parlour dog.”

  Abi’s eyes widened and Lulu gave an excited bark. “She’d love it. And so would I!”

  “Wonderful.” Aunt Tiffany beamed and held open the shimmery pink curtain for them. “We’ll get Lulu into the spa, let her sniff our bubble baths, and see which one she likes best. After that, you can help me choose the perfect accessories for her. I’ve just got in a new range of glitter bows that I think you’re going to love!”

  “Come on, you two.” Abi tugged lightly on the leads of the poodles. She was glad that Frosty and Sooty loved Pooch Parlour’s Doggy Daycare so much that they didn’t want to leave, but it was time for them to go home to their owners!

  Beside her, Abi’s fluffy little bichon frise, Lulu, gave a small bark. Abi smiled. Lulu knew that once they’d delivered the poodles to Mr and Mrs Harris in reception, she’d get some Barker’s Bites as a treat. No wonder she was in a hurry to get them moving.

  “See you later, Abi.” Rebecca, who ran the Doggy Daycare, waved at them as they left and the door swung shut behind them. Abi liked helping out at the Daycare. There were always lots of interesting new dogs to meet and fun games to play with them. Lulu liked it too – especially if one of the visiting dogs was in a playful mood. The Doggy Daycare had all the best toys – and Abi and Lulu had the whole summer to play with them, while they stayed with Aunt Tiffany.

  With the Daycare out of sight, the poodles followed obediently at heel, and Lulu trotted along just behind. As Abi led them down the corridors of her aunt’s luxury dog-grooming salon, she passed a few members of Pooch Parlour staff. They all said hello and most stopped to pat Lulu on the head. Everyone knew how much Lulu liked to be petted.

  “Oh, Abi. Great!” Kim bustled down the corridor towards them. “Can you do me a favour, if you’re heading to reception? I have to take this message to your aunt, so can you keep an eye on the front desk? I’ll be back in two minutes. If anyone comes in, just ask them to take a seat until I get back.”

  “Of course,” Abi said. She pulled the curtain that led into reception to one side and let the dogs go first. Mr and Mrs Harris were already waiting, and Frosty and Sooty barked, rushing forward to greet them.

  Abi handed their leads to Mrs Harris with a smile. “They’ve had a great time,” she said.

  “Oh, I’m so glad,” Mrs Harris said. “I do worry when I have to leave them, but I know they’re in good hands here at Pooch Parlour.”

  Abi waved the Harrises off through the big front window of the salon. As soon as they turned the corner, Lulu placed her paws on Abi’s leg, almost standing up, and Abi laughed. “Don’t worry, Lulu, I haven’t forgotten about your Barker’s Bites! When Kim gets back, we’ll go and find some.”

  Just then, the front door opened. Abi and Lulu headed to the reception desk and smiled at the newcomers – a tall man in jeans and a T-shirt, and a girl around Abi’s age carrying a tiny Yorkshire terrier puppy.

  “Welcome to Pooch Parlour,” Abi said politely.

  The man raised his eyebrows. “Aren’t you a little young to be working here?” he asked with a grin.

  “I’m just helping out for the summer,” Abi explained. “Kim – that’s the receptionist – will be back any second.” What else had Kim told her to say? Abi glanced round the room and spotted the long, velvet sofa beside the desk. That was it! “Would you like to take a seat until she gets back?”

  “Actually, I have an appointment with Tiffany,” the man said, not sitting down. Instead, he started pacing round the reception area, picking up catalogues and leaflets, flicking through them quickly then putting them back down again. “My name is Don Francis. I’m a film director.”

  Abi’s eyes widened. She knew that name! Don Francis was the director of the Barking Mad movies, starring Pooch Parlour’s most famous client, Daisy Lane. She wondered if Daisy had recommended them.

  “And I’m Polly,” the girl said, settling on to the sofa. “His daughter. And this is Pickle,” she added, pointing at the Yorkie.

  “I’m Abi and this is Lulu.”

  Lulu barked at her name and padded over to Pickle. The two little dogs sniffed round each other, darting back and forth, neither quite sure what to make of the other. Lulu had grown used to being round a lot of new dogs since they’d arrived at Pooch Parlour, but Abi didn’t know how well Pickle played with strangers.

  She waited, a little nervously, until Lulu’s tail began to wag, the whole back half of her body wiggling with excitement. Pickle’s tail started to move too, and the tiny Yorkie yapped and nuzzled Lulu’s side.

  Abi smiled at Polly. “I’ll just go and fetch Aunt Tiffany,” she said, happy to leave Lulu with her new friend.

  She rushed towards the curtain that led to the Pooch Parlour offices, but paused before she went through. Turning round, she saw Mr Francis inspecting a display of dog brushes by the counter.

  “Um, Mr Francis…” He looked up, and Abi took a breath. “I just wanted to say … I really love your films!”

  The words came out in a rush, and Abi bit her lip as soon as she’d blurted them out. She shouldn’t be bothering a famous film director!

  But Mr Francis grinned at her. “Well, that’s good news,” he said, “because I’m making one just round the corner from here.”

  Abi gasped. “Really?” It was too exciting for words!

  “Really,” Mr Francis said with a nod. “It’s called Sally White and the Seven Dogs. And what’s more, I’m here today to see if we can use Pooch Parlour for the dogs’ grooming before we start filming!”

  About the Author

  Copyright

  STRIPES PUBLISHING

  An imprint of Little Tiger Press

  1 The Coda Centre, 189 Munster Road,

  London SW6 6AW

  First published as an ebook by Stripes Publishing in 2014.

  Text copyright © Katy Cannon, 2014

  Cover illustration copyright © Simon Mendez, 2014

  Illustrations copyright © Artful Doodlers, 2014

  eISBN: 978–1–84715–572–6

  The right of author and illustrator to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work respectively has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  All rights reserved.

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  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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