Being a rescued dog from the local animal shelter, we never knew Shadow's date of birth. Her first trip to the vet, we were told she was between three and four years old. She was with us for the rest of her life - 12 1/2 years. Shadow had been abused and, I believe, left on the streets as a pup. It took her over a year to completely trust us. Once the trust was there, the love soon followed. She remained leery of strangers her entire life, but she was a joy for us. She loved going on walks and just chillin' on the recliner. She slept with us, came on rides with us and was very sad when we had to leave her alone in the house. I will never forget the years with this wonderful pet and still cannot think of her without getting choked up. I called her the "little black dog." We may have rescued her, but she repaid us many times over.