I was heartbroken as I moped in my cell, my paws freezing from the cold concrete floor.

I guess my sorrow was apparent because the humans passing my cage pointed to my button eyes and drooping pointy ears. Others dogs barked when the humans came by. I just sat.

People remarked how sad I looked and how much I resemble a fox. One dark-haired man said I have ears like his old dog, a Samoyed. But I’m neither fox nor Samoyed, I’m an Australian Shepherd mix.

Dark-haired guy crouched in front of me and cooed baby talk.  Then another man lavished attention on me. Both men said they each wanted to adopt me. But I could only have one furever home. The shelter attendant suggested a lottery where the winner gets me.

The next day the dark-haired man, named Will, showed up and so did the other guy – with six of his friends. The shelter attendant wrote numbers on pieces of papers then put the pieces in a hat. Each person picked a number out of the hat. Will pulled out the winning number.

Will took me to his home, a big, two story place where two other strange people live. The new smells and rooms scared me. I bolted every time one of the humans came around.

But Will let me sleep on his comfy bed instead of a hard cold floor. And his room is much warmer than my old cell. After a few days I trotted to Will when he whistled and head to the backyard when he tells me to go outside, go potty.  The two other strange people are Will’s parents or my grandparents.

Grandpa likes to slip me chicken at mealtimes. I nap by grandma’s feet when she watches television.

A few weeks after I came to my forever home I met my aunt. This weird woman wanted to pet me but I wasn’t having any of it. I kept running away from her. Then I discovered she gives belly rubs and walks anytime I want. All I have to do is roll over and she will scratch my tummy for as long as I want.

I nudge her awake in the mornings and she will take me on long walks. She also buys me vitamins, squeaky plush toys and never complains when I shed all over her bed.

I never expected to move into such a comfortable place but I’ve been here 12 years and my family treats me like the furry queen that I am.