Gracie didn't know how close she was to the good life. As a young female mixed hound of medium size, she roamed the streets near C.A.R.E., dodging prowlers and becoming leery of people. Finally, fate steered her into the yard of C.A.R.E.'s neighbor. Caught and welcomed by C.A.R.E., she soon forgot her troubled life. Only her initial shyness around strangers, to whom she warmed up quickly, remained a sign of her past.

For Gracie, living at C.A.R.E. was like living at a country club. She splashed around the doggie pool, played fetch and enjoyed any activity offered. Although she didn't mind her extended stay at the shelter of almost two years, she was ecstatic when someone finally offered her a home she could call her own.

Phyllis Hoffman Wilson, a volunteer at C.A.R.E. who works with its dogs, socializing them and instilling trust into them, became attached to Gracie. Not only Phyllis but also her children developed a friendship with Gracie, and it became harder and harder to leave her behind at the shelter when they went home. Convinced that Gracie belonged with their family, they adopted her.

Although not worldly in travelling, Gracie took the car ride to her new home in stride and lay quietly in Phyllis' daughter's lap in the back seat. At their arrival, Gracie's new furry family members, a German shepherd, an English bulldog, a little Chihuahua and three cats, greeted her one at a time. They liked her instantly, and Gracie returned the feeling toward her new two doggie brothers and little doggie sister.

"She was a little confused by the cats, but soon decided that if I liked them, they must be OK," Phyllis said.

While Gracie adores all her brothers and sisters, she formed a close friendship with Thug, her English bulldog brother, from the beginning.

Phyllis said, "They play and play and when they are done, they snuggle together for a nap."

Although the dogs have their own room where they spend the day together and sleep together at night, they all try to sneak into the human bedrooms when it's time for bed. Especially Gracie dreads bedtime when she has to stay in the room with her siblings. She loves to sleep in the bed with her mom and hogs the best place: right where the comfortable pillows are. Gracie not only uses pillows for a good night sleep but also rests her head on them whenever she lies down on the couch to take a nap. Snuggling on the couch is her favorite pastime.

Keeping up with her good habits of exercising and listening to commands, learned at C.A.R.E., Gracie plays each morning and evening with her siblings in the yard and without delay, obeys orders given by her human family. She also gets a lot of quality time with all family members, and her mom always sets aside a little one-to-one time with Gracie in the morning.

Phyllis said," I think many people feel that they need to get a pet while it is a baby to ensure a close bonded relationship. This is just not so. Gracie is more than 2 years old and probably never lived in a home, but there is no doubt how much she cares for and fits into our family. At CARE, in addition to excellent health care, the animals are socialized and trained by very dedicated volunteers who aim to match deserving pets with a warm and safe forever home."