This is Lily, my (nearly) four year old Labrador Retriever. She is the fourth Lab that I have had, and I believe she may be the best dog I have ever had. She is very loving and obedient, and everybody is her Very Best Friend, even if she is meeting the person for the first time.

She loves just being near me, and our morning ritual includes a few minutes of "Undercover Dog". Each morning, just before the alarm is scheduled to go off, she will make her presence known to me on the floor by the bed, which is my cue to raise the covers and tell her that she is an "Undercover Dog".

She then jumps up, snuggles as close to me as she can, and stays very still until I decide it is time to get up. She loves rides in the car, going to the mailbox and even loves going to the vet (More Best Friends!!).

Susan D.

Stoly is a Border Collie. I don't know his age but his favorite activities include chasing squirrels, sitting on the window seat lording over the back porch and giving bear hugs around your neck when you least expect it. He has had a hard life. As a puppy his first owner was killed in a horseback riding accident. [strike 1] Her husband mistreated him for years and finally surrendered him to a local vet after Stoly bit him - after his paw was shut in the tailgate of the husband's truck - probably not an accident. [strike 2] A vet technician took pity on him and nursed him back to health only to find that Stoly had mild epilepsy. She reluctantly put him up for adoption since her husband wouldn't keep him with his "disability". [strike 3].

My husband and I were heartbroken over the loss of our previous Border Collie and were looking for another dog. What a joy Stoly has turned out to be. He was afraid of everything at first but has turned into the most wonderful companion. He shares many ghostly traits with our last dog, too. He snortles his food and barks at the door bell when it rings just like our previous dog. Spooky!

It just goes to show you that animals give back much more than they take, forgiveness is everything, and a cold nose means a warm heart.

PS Say hello to the zebras and the sables for me.

Becky S.

I live in Ketchikan, Alaska. It sure gets rainy here (about 13 feet, YES FEET, per year). There's nothing better than curling up with a good book and a warm cat. I have two that came from the local animal shelter. The picture is of Sam, who is about 3 years old, and quite the character. He loves to chase a laser pointer and get a good back scratching.

Thanks for the interesting information about Fossil Rim in your email newsletter. I hope to get there and visit.

Doreen C.

Our Patriotic Pups!

Here are our four legged, furry friends, Jig (English Springer Spaniel) and Tootsie (Maltepoo). They love to romp in the back yard, play ball and frisbee but they also like to show their support of our men and women soldiers fighting for our freedom.

God Bless!
Cindi B.

This is our baby Napoleon. He passed during spring break, but he was such a special part of our life. He was so darn funny, we just wanted to share one of the many special (& funny) moments he gave to us when he was here.
 
This is him trying on his "Doggles". He thought he was hot stuff!

Nolen and Kim M.

Sampson is a pure breed Bullmastiff and is only three months old. He is a doll baby, sweet, loving and smart. He has his own kiddie pool and is learning to love the water. We take him for day trips to the Rio Grande River 14 miles away from our home in Taos. He will grow to be nearly 130 pounds. My husband and I love the large breeds, especially the loving temperament of the Bullmastiff's. He has a hard act to follow, since we lost a Rottie family of three to cancer in the last two years. We think he looks up to the task, don't you agree?

We hope to return to Fossil Rim again this December. Our three day visit last year was fabulous.

Sharon W.