“Please, oh please can we get a dog,” I begged my mom, but the answer was always a resolute no. Even at the age of five I was determined to have a dog. It did not matter what breed. I simply wanted a companion to keep me company. As a result, I begged everyone in my family from my aunt to my cousin until my grandmother caved and said the golden word, yes. The following weekend my grandmother and I scoured the newspaper listing puppies for sale. We visited called multiple listings only to be left with the disappointment that all the puppies have already been sold. By mid- afternoon my grandmother was weary of the search and was ready to give up, but I was determined to find my companion. I beseeched my grandmother to call one last place