My girlfriend has spent a number of years working as a volunteer at a local pet shelter. While she’s seen a ton of tragic stories regarding pets dropped off and left at their doors, she’s also had the joy of experiencing a lot of good stories as well. Most recently what appeared to her as a full blooded Bernese Mountain Dog was brought in by animal control.

Apparently the bad economy had forced a local family out of their home and into foreclosure. With so many similar situations, the family simply left the animal, choosing to see it only as a liability. When the mountain dog came in, my girlfriend got on the phone calling the watch list.

Within half a day, there were two families that were vying over this wonderful pet. It was good to hear her tell the story.

One of the very fist dogs that came in when she started volunteering was a gruff looking but completely huggable Boston Terrier. I’ve always thought they were sort of ugly dogs, and to me, this one was no exception.

Like most well bred and trained dogs, however, this dog was a wonderful little creature to be around. Oh, did I mention that after my girlfriend moved in with me a few months later, our household ended up being a total of three individuals? Her, me, and well, you know, Ugly Dog!