We rescued Allie when she was a two-year-old pup, cleaned her up (she had fleas), and cared for her as a family of four (my wife and myself plus two boys, now grown and moved away with their own families). She has been a faithful companion through thick and thin and lots of roller coaster stages of life for 17 years now. Hope she hangs on a little longer, but she is the equivalent of 92+ human years, can hardly see or hear, very arthritic, but still reasonably happy and snuggly.