Meet, Maggie Mae, my oldest Pack member.

I have to start with Maggie Mae, (Maggie Mae, Song from Rod Stewart)

She was picked up wondering a neighborhood in the town I live in, when the Humane Society I worked for got a call that there was an emaciated dog digging in the trash cans.

The animal control had problems getting her and tried for weeks to catch her. When they did bring her in she was just bones. One of the worst cases we had seen in our county.

She had an embedded lavender purple collar, the skin had begun growing over the edge. It was a puppy collar and she was estimated to be a 5 year old dog, living on the streets, and had gone completely wild or feral.

I saw her come in. They had to use a catch pole to move her from the truck to the kennel. She was deemed vicious and unapproachable. From then on she cowered at the back of the cage in the corner. When anyone would approach the cage she was gnash out all teeth and gums, spraying foam and barking.

It was decided that after her, "four day hold" that she would be put to sleep unless she came around.

I watched her, fed her and talked to her for four days, never staying long, just seconds at a time. Never did I try to make eye contact with her.

In the four days she started to gain weight. I thought she was beautiful with her two different colored eyes, I decided then that I would try to take her home with me. I couldn't let her be put down.

On that fourth day, I entered the kennel. She growled and crouched down lower in the back corner, so I just turned my back and sat down facing the kennel door.

After an hour of talking softly, and never moving I felt a nose sniffing my back. I knew then she was mine. It took another hour to pet her without turning around.

At the end of the day I was able to leash her. I took her into the office and said, She's mine, I want to adopt her.

She has been my best friend since that day 15 years ago.