Arthur's Pet Business (episode)

Arthur's Pet Business
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Arthur's Pet Business is the first part of the fifth episode of the first season in the Arthur animated series. Joe Fallon wrote it and Jean Lajeunesse did the storyboards. It first aired October 7, 1996, alongside with D.W., the Copycat.

Plot Outline

Arthur is looking through the window of Al's Pet Shop. He wishes he could have a dog, for he thinks it could be helpful. In his imagination, Baby Kate is up high in a tree, crying, while her Mom stands at the bottom watching in despair. Suddenly, Arthur runs up with a collie dog. Arthur commands his dog to get Kate down, thus the dog obeys and picks up Kate with its mouth and brings it down to their mom. His mom is very grateful for him to have a dog, while the collie licks Arthur. After his imagination, he is standing, in a wary matter, from the grouchy dog, Perky. {Title Card} Arthur is in his room, cutting out pictures of dogs. D.W. enters and teases Arthur for wanting a dog. Arthur tells D.W. not to tell anybody, for he wants to ask his parents at the right time. D.W. confirms her own trust and says she won't tell. Later at dinner, Dad asks what's new. D.W. promptly blabs to him that Arthur wants a dog, which aggravates Arthur. His dad reminds Arthur that it's a large responsibility to take care of a dog. Arthur claims he would feed it, walk it, and play with it. The parents decide to think about it, which D.W. claims that it means no. After dinner, Mom and Dad discuss about the dog matter. Mom worries about their new carpet. Meanwhile, Arthur and D.W. are trying to listen to what they are saying through the window. All of a sudden, the door opens with Mom an Dad re-entering, almost knocking D.W. over. They tell Arthur that he can have one if he can take care of it. Arthur jumps for joy, but stops when his parents tell him he needs to prove himself responsible. Arthur glumly thinks of how he could accomplish this. D.W. suggests he could get a job, also so he could pay her the seven dollars he owes. But Arthur wonders what kind of job he can get. At the school's jungle gym, Arthur's friends give him suggestions. Muffy suggests he can be a car salesman at Crosswire Motors. Arthur thinks about it this. In his imagination, a customer is looking at the engine of a car and asks Arthur what type it is. He doesn't know, for he can't see it. Back at the playground, Binky suggests he should work at the junk yard and crush old cars. Francine suggests he should do something he would want to do. This gives Arthur an idea: if he could take care of other pets, he could take care of his own. At home, he and Francine are making signs for Arthur's Pet Business. They begin to bring stacks of them downstairs after they finish. Arthur trips down the stairs. His parents see his signs about his new business. They want to help by giving the signs to the people they know. Dad gives a sign to a family of moose. And while Mom is walking Kate in her stroller, Mrs. Wood comes and adores the baby. At this time, Kate holds out one of Arthur's signs to Mrs. Wood. Arthur is in the park handing the fliers to people who come by. That night, Arthur is waiting by the telephone for a call. His mom tells him that he needs to get ready for bed. He asks for more time waiting which she refuses. Right on cue, the phone rings and Arthur answers it. In excitement he runs upstairs to Dad and cheers that he got his first customer. His dad asks who it is. He responds that it's Mrs. Wood who wants her dog watched while she is away on vacation and he'll earn ten dollars. But Dad knows that it's the dog which the mailman calls Jaws. "You mean that nasty little dog, Perky?" D.W. responds. The next day, Arthur goes to Mrs. Wood's house to pick up Perky, who is growling noisily. Mrs. Wood tells him not to mind the growling, for she hasn't been the same lately. She gives Arthur Perky's schedule and a list of the things she doesn't like, which is very long. Arthur confirms he'll take care of her. On the first day, Arthur is doing homework, until the timer rings, letting Arthur know that he needs to brush Perky. He brushes her an even hundred times, which relieves Perky, temporarily. At dinner, the timer rings again, which reminds Arthur to feed the dog. He feeds her in a very finicky way. Including a quarter-tablespoon of chicken, a quarter-tablespoon of liver, the middle of a cheeseburger, without a pickle, and a cherry on top. He gives it to Perky, but she doesn't eat it, for Arthur forgot the parsley. Arthur's family is watching Bionic Bunny on TV, until the timer rings again, which begins to annoy Arthur. Later, Arthur is taking a bath, when the timer rings once again, which exasperates Arthur. Arthur rolls out a mat for Perky across his bed. Perky notices a wrinkle, which Arthur fixes. Arthur begins to tire out from taking care of Perky. Later on, while Arthur is feeding Perky, his mom asks if he wants a dog if it's a lot of work. Arthur knows that if he can take care of Perky, he can take care of any pet. Suddenly D.W. enters and tells Arthur that Prunella who wants Arthur to take care of her ant farm. Prunella instructs Arthur about what to do and to put on music for them on Tuesdays. D.W. looks out the door and notices that the signs Arthur put up have worked. Arthur looks outside and sees a large line of people and their pets that need care. The house is then full of animals, including a pig, frogs, a cat, a dog, a bird, and a snake. Arthur's dad becomes concerned about all the animals. Arthur is worried too, about how he will keep them on schedule.