Arthur seeks a job taking care of pets to prove he is responsible enough to have a puppy of his own. He is glad that his first job is to mind a dog for a week, even a temperamental one, and he lets Perky sleep in his room. An ant farm and a canary follow--but when sister D. W. finds frogs in the bathtub and a boa in the livingroom, Mother banishes these "pets" to the basement. The reason for some of Perky's fussiness is revealed when, on the day she is to go home, she disappears--and is discovered in Arthur's closet with her new litter of pups. The pleased owner gives one to Arthur in addition to his fee--most of which pesky D. W. claims for a back debt.