Last Thanksgiving, my house was broken into while I was at work. Scruffy went after the burglars entering the back door, who shattered his carnassials and upper molars with a wooden dowel they took out of my windowsill. Even with his teeth broken and wedged up into his jaw, he still whipped around front, barking and growling at the ‘lookout’ who was on my front porch.

Shinkou was our very first foster dog from the Shiba Scout Rescue. Shinkou was found on the streets so we had no information about what her life had been like but it was easy to see it had not been the life she deserved. Shinkou was found weighing 11 pounds (about 10 pounds under weight), she had burns on her legs, tar in her hair and a serious attitude.

My daughter had just come home from a very bad day in fourth grade. Someone had said something and she was in tears. She came in the front door and went right upstairs to her room. I followed her in and found her sitting tragically hunched on the floor, her sheepskin boots cast aside, still sobbing. I sat down next to her, trying to think of the right motherly thing to say that would make it all better.

We are innkeepers at a large B&B ski lodge in Colorado, consisting of a Dining Lodge, where we live; and a Guest Lodge, where our guests stay. In January, 2011, when we (thankfully) had no guests in the Lodge, our son and his girlfriend came to visit us. We were enjoying our coffee and conversation in the Dining Lodge one cold morning when Murphy detected something not right, and started frantically barking at the front door.

My dog, Shadow, is my hero for many reasons. For one, she is my best friend and I can tell her all of my secrets and complain to her about anything and she doesn’t even mind. Anyone that can put up with a 19-year-old girl’s problems without so much as a groan should be given some sort of medal!

Madeline is 11 years old and sight impaired. She in in agility and just started the last few months. I have to help her at times and we will never win a speed record, but she loves it. I don’t mind slowing down for her.

I was looking out my front kitchen window with tear filled eyes when I saw the small dog standing on my front lawn. Had it been any other
day I would have run out, caught him and tried to find his owner, but not today. I had just hung up from Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, informing me my mother had just suffered a massive stroke and would not live more than a few hours.

We got Bonnie when I was 16. Right from the start, she bonded with me more than anyone else in the family. We couldn’t believe that there was someone out there that didn’t want her – she was so easy to train and listened so well.

It was around 6am and I took my boys for their morning walk near the foothills, when we came across two coyotes. I didn’t spot them at first, but my dogs did. I proceeded to yell and raise my arms, but the coyotes were not intimidated by me.

The decision to bring a dog into my home came not of my own volition, but at the request of my then 8 year old son. Four years earlier my son had been badly bitten by a dog owned by a friend of a friend, sort of confirming my belief then that cats were easier to deal with when you have small children.

Scooter is a special dog. He has some very special needs that have forced me to learn patience. Scooter was diagnosed with a type of doggy Down Syndrome. He is a very fearful dog who has trouble adapting to new people and especially new situations.

My dog shows me unconditional love. He is always there when I come from a long day’s work. I know when I open the front door, he will be standing there with his little face looking up at mine saying, “Hi, Mom. I missed you so much!” He is the most loyal dog I have every owned, just because he shows me so much affection and is always wanting to lay right on my lap and have me pet him.

Donut is a therapy dog that was rescued from a local shelter. He visits the children’s hospital, convalescent home, and local library on a monthly basis. Everywhere he goes, he puts smiles on people’s faces.

While Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants is in the running to earn the title of the National League’s Most Valuable Player, Buster Pawsey of Pacific Grove has definitely earned the title of MVP — Most Valuable Pooch!

My two dogs, Punk’n and Enzo, are my heroes because they are a reflection and a constant reminder of who I am and who I strive to be. In so many ways, Punk’n is me in dog form—willful, outspoken, and sometimes even stubborn. She reacts to many things the same way I do and helps me see myself and my actions in her short, furry reflection. I know myself better because of her.