In July of 2007 our local shelter had an Adopt-a-Thon and all their sister shelters were invited to bring animals for the event. It was a hot, sunny day and when we arrived there were lots of animals looking for homes. I had told my son I did not want a large dog, they were just too much. We took a tour of the whole lot to see if there was a dog we might be interested in taking home. My son immediately fell in love with a big, black Lab/Newfie mix, but I said, "No, no no...too big, let's go look at that boxer we saw again." The boxer was very hyper and I didn't think he would be suitable for our family. We looked a little longer and finally came back to the Lab/Newfie mix. Most of the other dogs were barking and carrying on and this big dog was just laying in the sun looking so relaxed. We spoke to the shelter people and found out he had been found wandering in Eastern Washington and had been transfered to their shelter a couple of weeks before. They said they had named him Leo and he was so mellow, already house trained, could sit and shake and they had fallen in love with him. Well, I looked over and he and my son had already formed a bond. What could I say...he was already ours! We brought him home that hot July day and have never looked back. I can't imagine how this loving, sweet dog had been lost or abandoned. He is so smart and has been easy to train. He loves to play and be scratched. We love this dog and are so happy he has become a part of our family

Annette Bjorkman
Auburn, WA