Years ago, some friends and I went to a St. Patrick's party at another friend's; drive there was about 45 minutes (highway). We got to the apartment building and on the way up to the party, saw a small toy poodle sitting against an apartment door.

About three hours later, we left the party. Dog was still there, so I went back upstairs and asked our hostess what the deal was with the dog. "The woman who owned him decided she didn't want him anymore, so she just shoved him out." When, I wanted to know. "Oh, a week or ten days ago."

I will not divulge the thoughts that ran through my head, about the woman who shoved the dog out, and my friend and the neighbors who knew this had happened and hadn't done anything more than occasionally feed this little dog.

On the way back to the car, I scooped up the dog and brought him home. The next morning, I couldn't find him anywhere! Finally, I heard my housemate (who'd been a stray, but that's a different story) say "Owl? Is there a dog in the house?" Yes, was my reply. "Oh, good; I thought I was dreaming! He's under my bed."

He was very sweet, but almost the most annoying creature I've ever taken in! Didn't matter, though, because the husband of the couple he went to were crazy about him. (The wife was okay with dogs, but it was clearly her husband's pet.) The little dog followed him everywhere, and that man took the dog everywhere, too. They were inseparable. A couple of years later, the man died; his wife kept the dog. Anything that her husband had loved as much as he loved that dog, and anything that loved her husband as much as that dog did... well, the little dog was both.

grey, good for you for picking up the pooch and finding him a good home! I lost a parakeet once, placed an ad in the paper never dreaming I'd get him back, and a week later, got a phone call from nearly an hour away by car. I was still asleep when the call came, and you can bet I got up immediately, pulled myself together, and went to get my bird. And this was just a parakeet... which regularly bit and had other bad habits! (Stopped biting after that week's vacation though. Also stopped trying to get out of the cage at every opportunity. Or ever again. )