The Rusty Chain - A Home for Abandoned Spooky Pups

     Don't worry if the pups jump in your lap. They're just looking for some attention. Go ahead and pet them if you like. They won't bite. Though the drooliks do drool a good bit. Here's a rag for that one. You just can't help but love these chubby little darlings – drool and all!

     I bet you'd like to know what we're doing with all these little spooks, wouldn't you? Well, that's a long story. Have you got time to hear it? Fantastic!

     Assuming the pose of a classic storyteller, Nip begins the Tale:

     "Nip! Come look what I found!" Hearing Scat call out, I rushed over to the wall surrounding Neovia and peered around the corner.

     "What is that? It's kinda cute."

     "I'm not sure. It looks lost though. I wonder where its owner could be," Scat answered.

     The thing was shivering with the cold and wet. Its fur was all matted and its four ears drooped all the way to the ground. It wasn't easy to catch, let me tell you! It wiggled and waggled and scooted around all over the place. Eventually Scat and I cornered the petpet. I scooped it up and we headed home.

     The next day I headed into Meridell to visit Nanci, the proprietor of Ye Olde Petpets. I volunteered my time there, learning everything I could about petpets. If anyone would know what this little critter was, surely Nanci would. The thing was still very skittish as I opened the door. It ran in and hid amongst the shadows. It took us nearly three hours to get a hold of it again so Nanci could take a good look at it!

     "You know Nip, I'm not really sure off the top of my head what this could be," Nanci told me. "Let me check a few things and I'll get back to you."

     Cuddling the unknown petpet tightly, we headed back home. Scat was full of questions, but all I could do was shake my head. I headed up to my room to take a nap.

     Three weeks later I received a letter from Nanci.

     Dear Nip,

     I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. I visited the library in Faerieland hoping that Fyora would have a book or scroll or something with information on your unknown petpet. The only thing I've been able to find describes a petpet called a droolik.

     It can't fly, cant move very fast and mainly just sits there staring with those big round eyes.

     The scroll included a picture of a droolik and your petpet is not it. I'm just not sure what you've got there. Peopatra doesn't know either. I wish you luck in your quest. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

     Nanci

     Well to say the least, I was devastated. I thought surely Nanci would be able to help. For a while I gave up trying to figure out what it was and focused instead on just loving it.

     I had decided to give it a name, even though I couldn't give it a species yet. Pookah seemed a good fit and the creature answered well to it. It was a very smart little petpet. It learned very quickly and was easy to train. Little Pookah and I would go on long walks in the Haunted Woods and she (for I had discovered it was a girl early on) insisted on going everywhere with me. Pookah had one strange habit though. Anytime we would get close to the Meepit Oaks Sanatorium, she would sit at the edge of the grounds and howl.

     During one of these times, I decided to go find out what she was howling at. As I passed through the gates, Pookah yelped and ran into the trees bordering the Sanatorium. No matter what I tried she wouldn't come to me. I turned around again, and headed through the crumbling front doors.

     I had been to the Sanatorium before. I was a curious Ixi and loved to explore. I was fairly familiar with the corridors and began methodically searching them. After some time, I came upon a door falling off its hinges. I slowly opened the door making it creak and moan. Before I could step inside the room, I was attacked by a grey blur doing its level best to take off my ankles. It was growling and yelping and howling and making such a raucous I thought surely they could hear me in Neovia!

     I backed up several paces and waited for the creature to quiet down. It backed away as well and sat down against the wall. Getting a good look at it, I could tell it was the same creature as my Pookah! I began to get excited. After a little while, I coaxed the critter to me. Again, just like my Pookah, this critter was very affectionate. I petted and rubbed and scratched. I swear it was smiling by the time I finished my ministrations. I was able to finally get up and explore the room. By the things in the room, I could tell I was in the janitor's closet. There was an old battered desk shoved in a corner topped with musty old books and papers. I started digging through these hoping to find a journal or diary or something that once belonged to Miles, the Sanatorium's janitor.

     "Ah ha!" I exclaimed when I came upon a tiny tattered and water stained book. It was just what I'd been looking for. I thumbed through the pages looking for some reference to Miles' petpet. A tiny doodle in the margin caught my eye. It was the petpet all right! And next to it was scrawled the word, "zomutt." I stuffed the book in my pocket and raced out of the Sanatorium as fast as I could. I spotted Pookah sitting where I'd left her and we headed home. I finally had a name for her! A zomutt! What a wonderful name!

     Skidding through the kitchen door at home, I collided into Scat.

     "A zomutt! It's called a zomutt!" I yelled.

     Scat laughed, "What a weird name! But great work anyway, Nip! Now you can tell Nanci and the rest of the Neopian community! I bet they'd even let you write an article for The Neopian Times!"

     "Yeah maybe," I answered with some trepidation. I was excited about the discovery and couldn't wait to tell Nanci, but I wasn't sure I wanted to be under such scrutiny, as an article would bring. What if they wanted to take Pookah away and study her? I wouldn't let that happen. "We'll see," is all I could tell Scat.

     Several days later, I went back to the asylum to find Miles' precious zomutt. I found it curled up in a pile of rags in one of the cells. Pulling out some treats from my pockets, I enticed the zomutt to leave that haunted place. I took it home and had my second rescued zomutt. Scat asked me what I was going to do with them. "Start a shelter for them, of course!" I replied.

     I began building this place the very next day, and every day after that I've gone searching for more zomutts looking for a place to call home.

     During my long days of looking for homeless zomutts, I've also come across a few drooliks. I fell in love with them and started bringing them home as well. I just recently started homing drugals as well. Those are some very strange petpets! But I do love spending hours grooming them!

     So there you have it! That's how I got started in this venture. The hours are long, the work is grueling, and no one understands why I would waste my time doing it. Everyone needs a home and everyone deserves to be loved. And if I'm the only one doing it? Well so what! I have plenty of love to go around!

The End