Got this e-mail from Mary, a reader, who asked that I share this story. It’s written in the voice of a dog who was adopted at a shelter. I loved it.

After reading it, make sure you read Mary’s story after the jump about how she came to adopt Charley, pictured here.Can you just imagine the kisses this guy gives! Thanks Mary (hope you don’t mind my sharing your story, too).

I have been a 2 dog home for years but last February,my 10 y/o dog died leaving us a 1 dog family. At first, I welcomed the lesser responsibility of having just one dog especially since Hercules in his last months had required a lot of vet visits(translation=every spare dollar went towards his care) plus I rented and my landlords had allowed me to move in with the 2 dogs but it was clearly spelled out that only the 2 original dogs could live there.

I bought my first home a few months later and once everything got settled,there was a feeling of something “missing”. Paco, my surviving dog, is a delightful little sprite but still something was missing so I started considering getting a second dog.

I was in no hurry,I felt that when the right dog showed up,it would happen. Visits to the Briarcliff and Hi Tor shelters didn’t show up the right dog. The weekend after Labor Day,I went to the Elmsford Shelter.

At first,it seemed that visit would be like the other visits but then the woman took me into a room where they kept the new arrivals and dogs recuperating from surgery. Now,mind you the dog I had in mind was a young,medium sized dog. I met Chuck, an 18 pound chi-mix who was 8 years old. The woman from the shelter told me he had been nippy when he first came in but she felt it was more fear than aggression.

I took Chuck on a walk. I’ll never forget what happened next. He stopped,looked up at me and then rolled over on his back inviting me to rub his belly. He had me at the moment.

Chuck is now Charley and he has filled that hole that Hercules left. Charley and Paco act like they have always shared a life together. So sorry for the long story but that’s why this article spoke to me…