Andy & Ginny

My wife and I had been looking for the right dog for a long time. We started with purebreds, but the process was long and questionable, and we saw we could do some good by adopting from a shelter. The shelters were hesitant to send just any dog to a home with kids ages two and six. But one shelter received our application and immediately called to say they were actually saving a dog specifically for a family! This dog was so gentle and low-key that they knew she'd do fine around small kids.

We first met Ginny at her foster family's. "Oh, here you are," she seemed to say to us. "Time to play." She's been playing with all of us ever since. And working, too: Ginny has put herself in charge of many tasks, including waking the kids up on school mornings. An alarm clock can't convince you to start the day with a smile, but a lick on the face sure can