My family was not a big pet family, we had dogs and cats but they were not family members. Usually I didn't get too close to the animals in my life. I fed them, watered them and walked them. I was 18 years old before I got my first "Pet". Her name was Candi, she was a sheltie puppy. I had Candi for 15 years. After she passed away I didn't have a pet again until I married my husband. We have had several of our own pets but currently I refer to our situation as the keepers of unwanted or lost pets. First we took my brother in laws old dog Beethoven. He was with us for a little over a year. Now we have Charlie. We also have two of his mothers cats. It is all part of the process of grieving over the loss of my mother in law. By taking care of her animals I feel her presence here.

Charlie is a nine year old dog. He is a mix of Border Collie and Blue Heeler. He has a beautiful coat and a friendly disposition. I first met Charlie three years ago when we moved to California. Charlie and Nancy spent a lot of time at our place so I got to know them well. They were here for every holiday and whenever she needed to go shopping. My husband was Nancy's IHHS worker so we spent many hours helping her live a life with quality while dealing with her illness.

Charlie has a very distinct personality. He is definitely part of the family. Nancy use to say she got Charlie to replace Geoff, my husband when he moved away. This made me laugh because I had never thought of my husband as being replaced. The more I got to know Charlie the more it was apparent Charlie was "our dog" not just Nancy's dog any longer. He had adapted to being the center of attention. He was the one in charge of "herding" Nancy's six cats. His breed is a working dog and Charlie took the cats to be his job. Nancy loved her animals and she was glad to see that we had accepted them. I am glad that we had the time together, it has helped me more than people can imagine.

I was not use to a dog being in the house all of the time. Charlie was not use to being outside very often. Getting use to each other was a big part of having Charlie around. I still do not let Charlie sleep on the bed but I do allow him to sleep in the bedroom with us. He is learning and so am I.

Charlie has had to learn that he has to wait until we are done eating and if there are scraps he gets them. He spends several hours a day outside so I can get things done. He is adjusting to us and we are adjusting to him. He gets his "treats" every night when my husband gets home from work. We are learning to live with him and he is learning to live with us. Charlie has taught me what it is like to be patient with an animal. I think I love Charlie now. I also respect the control it takes to have someone else's dog and treat it as your own. Charlie is part of our family and we are thankful that his mother left him to us.