We weren't thinking about a dog that day. We were out shopping, and passing the SPCA, we decided to stop and just look. There was a nice black lab about a year old, named Sandy, which caught our eye. We decided we would take her, but the staff person said she wished she had a hundred Sandy's, everyone wanted her, but she had already found a home, and was leaving in the morning.

All the dog books state that when adopting a puppy, look for one that doesn't shy away or urinate in excitement or fear. We looked at this little shepherd, and when we opened the gate, she shrank to the rear of the pen and urinated all over. My wife looked at me and asked, "What do you think?" I shrugged my shoulders, my daughter said "Let's take her."

We told the staff person we would take her, I signed the papers, paid the fee, and was told we could pick her up in three days, as she had to be spayed.

From this inauspicious beginning, a lengthy journey began, enriching my life in ways beyond description or measure. She was the dog of my life.