I knew I would get a dog when I moved out on my own, so as soon as I had my household in order, I began researching and looking at local shelters and petfinder.org. I made sure not to go to the shelter until I knew what breed I was looking for so I would walk home with a good match, not just for emotional reasons. And it was meant to be. They had a litter of puppies dropped off over the weekend, terrier/dachshund mixes—my two favorite breeds. And when I got there, only 5 minutes after it opened, there was only 1 puppy left: my Riley. It’s 5 years later and I can’t imagine life without him.