My name is Susan and I live 45 miles south of Jackson Hole, WY( the western part of the state in the Rocky Mountains). I do juvenile probation in Teton County/Jackson. I have been here since 1998 when I graduated from college.

I adopted my first little canine princess in December of 1999. I actually found her at a remote gas station-someone was trying to get rid of her. Her name is Daisy Mae and she will be 4 years old in September of 2003. She is a small black lab mix. She is strong and in-shape and loves to swim, and is almost impossible to wear out! And is happy, happy, happy...

Earlier in 1999, I adopted a kitten, Whiskey. He just turned four years old in April, 2003. He was shot in the leg while I was on vacation in 2000 and his back left leg is now amputated. As if the little fella didn't have enough problems, he was diagnosed with heart disease in early 2003, and is currently being treated. He is doing well, and would never believe that he has any problems. He is as happy as a clam.

I had been considering adopting another dog for about six months when I came across Ozzy at the local animal shelter in early January 2003. I read about him on the internet and went to the shelter to meet him, asking myself the whole time, "What am I doing? What am I doing? A dog with Addison's disease? Just what I need..." And, as they say, the rest is history...

Adopting Ozzy was a long process. For 3 weeks, I went in to the shelter to walk him 3 times a week so he would get to know me. I also brought Daisy in a few times to walk with us. They seemed to get along great. He seemed to get more and more excited to see me each time.

I called Ozzy's vet clinic to get the scoop on Addison's Disease and Ozzy's history. I also spent hours reading about Addison's on the internet and at Melody's website. I met with the two vets that knew Ozzy the best and must have asked them a million questions. They told me that Ozzy had been diagnosed in August of 2002, and that his heart had actually stopped!!!

The wonderful vets saved his life. He went back to his family, but was soon surrendered to the animal shelter. The animal shelter manager said that a teenager dropped Ozzy off at the shelter, and said, as he was walking out the door, "Oh yeah, he gets some kind of shot every month."

The animal shelter, of course, figured it out, and Ozzy's treatment continued successfully. Ozzy had been in the pound for 3 or 4 months when I inquired about him. The manager said that I was the first person to inquire about Oz at all! The animal shelter could not have kept him forever as he is a very expensive dog.

The best part of the whole story is how Jackson's animal community rallied around this dog. The local vets and animal agencies were so pleased that Ozzy was getting adopted that they offered me all kinds of financial assistance. Ozzy's first three shots (with me) were paid for, and I get a significant discount on the rest of his shots...Everyone knows who he is-there are calls of "Hey Ozzy!" everywhere we go...

Well, needless to say, I fell in love. I brought him home on January 31, 2003, and I love him!!! He is getting more and more comfortable and looks at me with these eyes...I know he knows... He is spoiled rotten, sleeps with me every night, has an overflowing basket of toys (they all squeak of course), daily walks and lots of love. I have never turned back and he is stable, happy and healthy.

Susan, Ozzy, Daisy Mae and Whiskey