One day, while taking my Irish Setter, Dana, to the dog park

One day, while taking my Irish Setter, Dana, to the dog park, I noticed a young pittie mix lingering near a nearby truck stop. I saw her several times—always alone, always waiting. I told myself that if she was still there next time, I’d bring her home.

Sure enough, she hadn’t moved on. It seemed some of the truckers had been giving her food, but no one had taken her in. So I grabbed a cheeseburger from McDonald’s, and the moment I offered it to her, she jumped right into my car like she’d been waiting for me all along.

I’ll admit, I had some hesitation at first—she looked a lot like a pit bull, and back then, there was still a lot of fear and stigma around the breed. But my vet later told me she was more of a hound mix. Honestly, it didn’t matter. She was incredibly gentle and quickly became a beloved part of our pack—even got along perfectly with the tiny chihuahuas I was fostering.

She wasn’t chipped, had no collar, and I knew if I had brought her to a shelter, she’d likely be put down just based on her looks. I’m so grateful I didn’t. She became a part of our family and gave us over ten beautiful years.

In her final days, we faced her lung cancer together. She was cherished every single day, and I never once doubted that picking her up that day was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.