We adopted Max from your shelter in November of 1996. He was believed to be five years old at the time and although his front leg had been removed there was no way of knowing what had happened to him or when.

Max was very special to us, and to many people who encountered him over the years. His loss is a blow made worse because it was so abrupt. We can only hope that we gave him a good home and that the years he spent with us were rich ones for him.

Our impression when we adopted him was that he had been overlooked by others because he was missing a leg. How little they knew. Selfish as it sounds, we were thankful for their short sight because that brought him to us. We shuddered now and then over the years to think that we might have missed each other. Us for the loss of our wonderful companion, him for the lack of appreciation he might have endured, as he already had early in his life.

PAWS gave Max a chance, as they have so many. We're grateful for that. All we have of Max now are memories. With those in mind, we'll give what we can to help keep more chances, and the memories that ultimately follow, alive for others.