Khalil arrived at the shelter fairly quietly. He was cute and sweet, but shy and probably a little overwhelmed at finding himself in the middle of such a noisy bunch of dogs. He didn't really demand notice the way that many of the dogs do--in the words of one volunteer,he didn't shine. In fact, it wasn't until he was badly bitten by another dog that he really captured the special attention of most of the volunteers. In pain and bleeding, Khalil quietly and patiently lay on a blanket in the office while he was cleaned and bandaged. Unfazed by being surrounded by cages full of cats, he rested peacefully in the office that night, and the next morning let Teena, the office kitty, sit by his head and look on while his wound was redressed. It took a few weeks for his wound to fully heal, but he didn't let it get him down. Liberated from the dog pen, he limped around the shelter, greeting visitors in the parking lot and getting belly scratches whenever they were offered. Once healed, Khalil returned to the pen, but he was no longer anonymous. Now whenever people asked about dogs who got along with cats, he was quickly pointed out. He was a volunteer favorite, and they were determined to find him a home. Funnily enough, when the woman who adopted Khalil came to the shelter looking for a dog, she didn't need to be sold at all. They hit it off immediately. Riley sent us this letter soon after.

Dear Miranda's Rescue-I asked my human to send you this photo of me at the beach. As you can see, I'm very happy now. I'm training my human to throw sticks & to scratch me on my chest & to let me sleep on her sofa. She's a quick learner! Thank you for taking such good care of me at the shelter. Everyone there was so nice to me (except for the dog who bit my paw, but-hey!- I got to sleep in the office while I recovered). My shelter name was Khalil, & my new name is Riley. Another happy ending for all you dedicated folks!-Riley