Alli wandered onto my property approximately 2 years ago. I was unable to keep her at that time due to the fact that I already had 2 older dogs. I donated her to my place of employment to be a part of an animal assisted therapy program. Approximately a year and half ago I moved to a new place of employment, but still thought about Alli often. I found out that she had figured out how to escape from her kennel and was given to a friend of mine to keep. Their house burned and they were unable to keep her, so she wound up coming to my house to live after my other two dogs passed away. She has definently brightened my life. I guess she was destined to be my dog all along. I absolutely do not regret making the decision to keep her.

Chester is a rescue from an organization in NY. After losing my 14 year old lab I decided to adopt an older dog and give him a second chance at life. Chester was 1 day away from being euthanized from a shelter when this organization took him in. Even though there wasn't a space for him they let him live in the cattery. He was there for 6 months until I saw his bigger than life picture on the internet. It was instant love. I have had Chester for 5 years and every day is full of life with him.

Lucky came running down the street after us in 33 degree freezing rain one very early winter morning as my dogs and I were starting our run. I quickly put the dogs away and came back out to find him waiting outside the front door. Soaking wet, freezing cold, and starving, he climbed into my arms, crawled inside my jacket and went to sleep. He shivered for 2 days.

We named him Lucky because we were ALL Lucky that day--he's been a joy and a clown for over a year now and I can't imagine our lives without him!

We had our Cairn-Eskimo terrier mix, Roxie, for a couple of years when our daughter brought home a Cairn-Corgi mix called Max. His owners had recently purchased a pure bred for $1200, then had their first child. When two dogs and a baby were too much to handle, they decided it was the mutt that had to go to a shelter. He was a year younger, but the same size and coloring as Roxie which made them look like siblings. So our daughter thought she would bring Max home to see if she could convince us to save him. He won our hearts immediately. Goofy Max and moody Roxie have been together and part of our family ever since.

I was looking for the love of my life on Valentine's Day, so I went over to the pound. I spent an hour or so looking at all the cats and wishing I could bring them all home. As I bent to one of the bottom cages, I felt a forceful tap on my head from one of the above cages. I looked up and saw a scraggily, skinny and beat up looking, six month old kitten. He looked right into my eyes and I fell instantly in love. He's been with me through some of the hardest times in my life now and is without a doubt, the number one man in my life.

I was photographing cats to help find homes for the remaining 12 of more than 100 who had lived with a little old lady who couldn't say "No". Beegie was placed in my arms and purred her way into my heart.

I adopted Chad nearly 8 years ago. He is a part of my life and I consider him family. He greets me everyday at the door. He has given me purpose and being that I'm limited at social networking, he has proven to be a best friend.

While walking through the mall one Sunday afternoon I was compelled to walk into the county Animal Shelter weekend 'show' site. I had no intention of getting a dog that day, but Howie had other ideas! He claimed me as his owner! I simply couldn't leave without him.

He came along about a year and a half after the death of my oldest son. Howie brought joy back into our home and lives. He is a basset hound/yellow lab mix and the funniest, most intelligent dog I have ever had! We rescued him once and he has been rescuing us ever since.

Since we rescued him, between our home and my daughters, we have 5 rescue dogs now!

I was looking for a young shepherd to train as a retriever. I passed by Wyatt on several visits to the animal shelter. He was a big, sad yellow lab standing on his hind legs and clinging to the chain link of his kennel door. After a couple of weeks the attendant told me he had been there for a month and seventeen days. I gave up looking for my dream dog and said, "That's enough, Wyatt, you are going home with me." I introduced him to my collie, Happy, and off we went.

I soon learned how damaged Wyatt was. His previous owners had often left him alone much too long. When they came in to find their things destroyed they beat Wyatt. Eventually he ran away and got salmonella from eating bad fish. They managed to save him, and after 4 years and several hundred dollars they finally admitted that they just didn't have time or resources for him. They put him up for adoption. Finally they did the right thing.

I remembered the past year as I looked at pictures for this story: his weepy eyes and bowed rear legs from standing in his cage, the ones of garbage strewn from one end of the house to the other, endearing ones of him sleeping sweetly by Happy, and joyous days on the beach a few blocks from my home. Finally I selected the one you see of a balanced and happy "aloha" dog who no longer rips open dog food cans with his teeth, and who is not interested in using my remote for a chew toy. He is a wonderful dog, gentle and loving, and he does retrieve - most of the time.

My friend got these two adorable kittens at 8 weeks old to catch mice at their house surrounded by a corn field. I would go over everyday just to see the kitties, and within a month she decided she didn't want them and was going to destroy them and I took them home. The love we give each other has been like none other in the whole world, and still going strong 12 years later...they are my only children... My kids with fur!!