My family currently has five cats, one dog, one bearded dragon, and a tangerine gecko. We were a foster family for the shelter for years, which is how we ended up with five cats! Our dog Nellie came to us late last year quite unexpectedly: a friend needed a home for her son's eight month old puppy who had already been in two other homes, so we agreed to take care of her temporarily while they found her a home. She came to us late on a Sunday night, and by the next day, I knew that we would be keeping Nellie permanently. We fell in love with her, and she with us. Our pets are part of the family: they sleep with us, walk all over us (literally and figuratively), and have free run of our home. One of our favorite activities is taking our dog to the dog park nearby, and for walks around the neighborhood at night. I will love your dog while you're away and treat it as my own.