I have been an animal lover all of my life and have always had at least a few residing in my household. My pets are considered part of my family. In fact I tend to call them my "fur-babies" or four-legged kids. I currently have two Labrador Retrievers and one Maine Coon cat. At one point I was a volunteer puppy raiser (3 dogs; Scout, Hattie and Belva) for Canine Companions for Independence, a wonderful organization that provides highly skilled canines to people with physical disabilities. During this time I provided all veterinary care, basic obedience and socialization opportunities to a puppy in training from 8 weeks old to 12-14 months old, when the dog was returned to the regional site for further advanced training and placement. I've also volunteered with the Arizona Humane Society and fostered sick and injured animals until they were healthy enough for adoption. References available upon request.