Lizzie unfolded the paper. " 'This is Bandit,' " she read out loud. Bandit. What a perfect name, because of the black mask around his eyes. She smiled at the puppy. "Hi, Bandit," she said softly. She still could not get over how cute this puppy was. He looked like a stuffed toy. She wanted to gather him up and hug him and -"Lizzie, the note!" Maria said. "What does it say?" She craned her neck, trying to read over Lizzie's shoulder.Lizzie looked back at the note. " 'Bandit is a Shih Tzu. He is six months old, and we love our little boy very, very much,' " she read. " 'But the vet says he needs a special operation for his heart, and we just can't afford that, not if we also want to feed our kids. So we hope you can find someone who can help, before he gets any sicker.' " Excerpted from Bandit by Ellen Miles All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.