My dreams came true when I was in fourth grade and my family got Macie, our beloved "half Collie, half unknown" dog from a newspaper listing in the outskirts of Atlanta. She quickly became a part of the family for the next 16 years. (Yes, 16!). While I have ALWAYS loved animals and volunteered at numerous animal shelters, almost gotten into car accidents for stopping in the street for crossing squirrels, and found great comfort in going to friends' houses not for them but for their animals - it wasn't until Macie's older years that I started to really think about the care portion. When Macie was in her last years, my parents were both out of town almost every week and I was her full-time caretaker. At her age, she required lots of extra attention and love .. and patience! It was during this time that I really found my compassion for taking care of animals and knowing how important it is to find the right care!