"It pleased me to see your wonderful website. A year ago I decided it was time for my husband and I to get a dog. We already had two cats and my husband thought that was enough, but I visited the shelter anyway. I looked at a dalmatian, a lab, a shepherd, etc. I kept avoiding the Chow at the end of the kennel. Finally after five visits I took her out to the play yard. She did not seem very thrilled to be with me out in the shelter's yard. She sniffed around while I sat at a picnic table, but after a few minutes she jumped right up on the bench with me. I froze. I had heard bad things about chows, but before I knew it she was leaning into me. Cautiously I gave her a hug, she did not mind, in fact she loved it.

"The next day I sent my husband to look at her. She did the same thing to him and he was hooked! We adopted her and brought her home, despite everyone's warnings about chows, and named her 'Inda'. She had been in the pound for three months, so she was quite reserved. It took her a month to touch any of the toys we bought for her, let alone to play with them. In a year we have taught her to sit and to fetch. It is slow going, but she is learning. She is so good, she has even taken our new kitten under her wing. She treats the kitten like it is her own pup.

"Inda has brought us so much joy. Thank goodness I gave her chance at the pound, it is like she was made for us."

Laura L. Dessen