Emily.

She's not the first dog you look at.  She's not little and she's not fluffy.  Her face is grey and her ears are lopsided and her legs are a bit skewed and her belly bears the marks of multiple litters of puppies.

Emily, at the Bill Foundation Adoption Fair.

But she's the first dog you should look at.  Because she was dumped in Echo Park, left to wander the streets, starving and scared, but she will happily lean up against you.  She loves to have her square head held in your hands as you scratch the space between her eyes, that space that holds her brain that's seen so much and experienced the worst the human race has had to offer, being used up and thrown out like a piece of trash but still loves us anyway.

You should look at her because she loves dogs and cats and kids, because she's housetrained.  She responds not to treats but to attention and belly rubs.  She's looking for a spot to curl up and sleep. maybe under your desk on a blanket, or on the couch or maybe, just maybe, at the foot of your bed. 

That's more like it.

She's a dog who prefers love to four mile hikes, a dog who will repay you for your kindness tenfold, for a belly full of food and a pat on the head and a soft spot to sleep.  She doesn't care how much you make or what you look like, only that you've got a kind word and a belly rub. 

She's a dog that you walk past looking at all the other dogs, and I can only shake my head at and wonder why people don't get it.  Because she is everything a dog should be and more.  Every Adoption Fair someone asks don't you want to take them all home? And I say I know that each and every dog will find the right home, but for the first time I am crushed that it can't be me because my dog doesn't get along with other dogs and I don't live in a place where I can crate and rotate. 

Every so often there's one that gets under your skin.  One that you know is special, one that is the best that the canine world has to offer. I know I'm not the only one who sees that. 

But I hope the right person with the right home will see that, too. Soon

Emily is available for adoption through the Bill Foundation a non-profit organization which is kept going by your donations (you can donate here!)

If you've got any questions, well, you know where to find me.

If you've been with me since the beginning, I am telling you, this dog is a Thurber,