Rescued dogs have been a part of my life for more than twenty years. I still miss Pepper, a mixed mutt with black curls; she was a shelter dog and my son's 8th birthday gift. Since then, more rescued dogs have joined our family. First, my husband Bob rescued Scout, mostly terrier, from the animal shelter and brought her to my middle school classroom to surprise me. Then he found Brooke, half black lab / half golden, abandoned at a water treatment plant and brought her home, too. When he joined an Army Stryker brigade and left for Iraq, I found Mike Wazowski, the One-Eyed Wonder Dog, at www.petfinder.com. I drove the 180 miles from my home in Macon to Brunswick to adopt him. These three kept me company and kept me sane while Bob was overseas. Since he came home from Iraq, my husband adopted Molly (not pictured!); she's a white Maltese / Poodle mix. She deserves her own rescue story, and maybe Bob will write that.

Pam Burkhalter
Macon, GA