Mr. Rico joined our family at age nine when his family divorced and made no plans for him. We are the lucky ones as our loving Black Labrador Retriever will turn fourteen-years-young this Fourth of July and continues to set off firecrackers in our hearts with every smile and wag of his tail. Haiku the long-coat Akita was found wandering the hot dessert streets when he was only four-weeks old. Like his now-sister Bonsai, I agreed to foster them but quickly knew they would never leave our house or our hearts. Time, patience and nurturing has made this pack work and they bring us all so much love. How great to start each day by gazing into their joy-filled faces after having spent a "three dog night" together.

Denise Fleck
Shadow Hills, CA