Three days before Otis' Gotcha Day, on December 27, 2007 - sixteen years ago. He came into my life in a dramatic way. A pack of dogs came out from behind a truck and ran in front of my car. Otis was the last one in the pack. I could not stop in time to avoid hitting him. He clearly had a badly broken leg. The folks who had been feeding the dogs said they were strays. They said they didn't have a vet but that they would take care of him. I thought they would shoot him (which I later learned was exactly what they would have done) so I took him to my vet who fixed his leg the next day, That is how at the age of 65, I became a first time dog owner. I could not have asked for a better dog - well behaved from day one, smart as a whip, and just an absolute joy to have. At 16 1/2 years old, he's an old man now, with serious health issues, so more than ever, I am cherishing every day I have with him.