Juneau isn’t getting any easier. My oldest son, who would drag Juneau outside while I was at work, left last week for a job in Colorado. This week Juneau will spend three days in doggie day care. That will become four days during most weeks from now on. That will be $104 a week until I figure out something more reasonable than quitting my job.
Juneau seems to enjoy doggie day care. One benefit is she comes home dead tired. So her owner gets a good night’s sleep. That makes him more observant of Juneau’s cuteness and absolute dependence on him, all of which makes this trouble seem worthwhile and rewarding.
Three days a week, man and dog’s sleep is interrupted at 4:30 a.m. to drive my daughter to crew practice on the Charles. Juneau comes along for the ride, then I take her for a run through Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, so she can chase birds at sunrise.
On a recent warm day, I put on my baseball cap for the first time this spring. Juneau was terrified. She looked at me like she never had seen me before. She sprinted down into a corner of the basement. Maybe because I wear a Yankees cap.

Just received this announcement from the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, which is where I adoped Juneau ...
NEWS FLASH!
The Northeast Animal Shelter has puppies that need homes today! And, 48 more are on the way. Saturday, 4/18, they'll all be available. It's going to be "crazy busy" here, but that's why we love what we do. Please stop by, but you may need to be patient! Our animals need you to give them great homes. We need you to give our animals great homes to make room at our shelter for more animals in need. Please contact us 978-745-9888 or www.northeastanimalshelter.org.

Once an animal-control officer drops off a stray dog at Wignall Animal Hospital in Dracut, a grim clock starts ticking.
Hospital staff has 10 days to find the dog’s owner, find the dog a new home or make that decision every dog-lover dreads.
“This is a healing facility,” said Patricia Mancini, the hospital’s manager. “To be put in the position of having to end an animal’s life is traumatic. We try to take solace in that at least here the animal is loved and not killed by somebody out of cruelty, or not dying on the street. But it’s very difficult on our staff. It takes a toll.”
Nearly 400 dogs picked up each year by animal-control officers in Lowell and Dracut wind up at Wignall. Nearly half are happily claimed by their owners. If a dog is not claimed within five days, though, the staff knows the dreaded decision of the 10th day is certainly coming.
Some animals are unadoptable because of behavioral or medical issues and must be put down. Others are in need of only love. But this 10,000-square foot animal hospital, which also includes a boarding facility and dog day care, has not the space and resources to house them all.
Staff members, their soft hearts further softened by each case, often break down and bring home a sad-case animal. “In fact, it’s become a joke that it’s an initiation for new staff members,” says Mancini.
Being unable to take them all home can be unbearable. As day 10 approaches, Jolene Landry, the hospital’s kennel manager, sends out e-mails searching for shelters with space. One of those e-mails last year resulted in Wignall Animal Hospital forging a relationship with the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, which Mancini says so far has saved almost 100 dogs from the Lowell area that probably otherwise would have been euthanized.
Laurie McCannon, the development director at Northeast, drives to Wignall in a van each week. On one trip, she returned to Salem with eight dogs after driving to Dracut to rescue four. The Wignall staff kept pleading, “Take this one, too!”
“They all have a personal thing with each dog,” says McCannon. “They’re kissing them goodbye and putting them in the van.”
Northeast is a no-kill shelter.
McCannon laughs, recalling the first dog she came to rescue at Wignall.
“Strangest-looking dog I ever saw,” she says. “Short-legged. Basset-hound body. Big head. Scruffy and tan. Big underbite. I said, ‘Oh my God, what is this thing?’”
Strange as the dog named Stohli looked, it was cute enough to be adopted from Northeast within three days.
Last August, the staff at Wignall convinced McCannon to take a big old black lab with a graying muzzle that had been abandoned in Lowell and faced being put down. The dog named “Riley” would lie quietly under McCannon’s desk but bark in his cage when potential adopters arrived. He was adopted last September by a Somerville woman who saw his picture on the Northeast Animal Shelter Web site.
Wignall Hospital owner Dr. David McGrath and Mancini recently presented Northeast Animal Shelter with a check for $3,009, raised during Wignall’s annual Santa Sunday photo event in December.
“Northeast Animal Shelter has been a fantastic partner,” says Mancini. “They have made a huge impact on the outcome of the animal kingdom in Lowell. Animal-lovers in our community are fortunate.”

Like Juneau, this dog was rescued from a neglect/abuse situation in Puerto Rico and needs a home. The following description is from the Northeast Animal Shelter Web site.

Cindy
Age: 4 years
Weight:
Breed: Smooth Terrier Mix
Gender: Female Altered
Been with us since: 12/1/08
Status: available
Cindy is from Puerto Rico! She was rescued from a neglect/abuse situation. She was tied out in a back yard for weeks on end and the only glimpse she got of a human was when someone threw out food and water for her. She was very lonely and very depressed when she was rescued. Because of that lack of socialization she just loves to be in the company of people. It does take her a while to warm up, she won't be your friend immediately. She loves to play and even learned to toss her own toys and fetch them herself. When there is no one to play with I guess you have to make do! There is a lot to learn about our Cindy so if you are considering adoption please come in and say hello.

This is one of the dogs up for adoption at the Northeast Animal Shelter. I recall "Sam" being there on Dec. 28 when I wound up adopting Juneau (or "Shely" as she was then known). I was tempted to adopt "Sam" or "Red Snake," another greyhound sleeping there at the time. I had checked out from the library a large picture book on greyhounds. The size of them and uncertainty about how they would deal with our cats pushed me toward "Juneau," who has a scaled-down greyhound look to her. A part of me wanted a greyhound.
This is the description of "Sam" from the Northeast Animal Shelter Web site.

Sam
Age: 2 1/2 years
Weight: 62 lbs
Breed: Greyhound
Gender: Male
Been with us since: 11/7/08
Status: available
12/2/08- Our fenced in yard is finally in place out in the back yard. I had a blast this morning playing with the staff. I almost felt like I was back on the track. Boy did it feel good to run like that! I was totally exhausted after about twenty minutes.. ( guess I'm not as young as I thought ) but it was a lot of fun! I can't wait to have another turn!