I have always loved animals.  My Dad's nickname for me was St. Francis.  I learned to love dogs and enjoy their loyal company growing up with our family dogs, Mack and Jiggs.  My parents set a wonderful example of how to take care of our animal companions for their whole lives, something for which I am very grateful.  This love for animals is what led me to eventually volunteer for the Lied Animal Shelter and then Southern California Keeshond Rescue.  In June of 1989 we adopted our first Kees, Caesar.  Caesar got to go on vacation with us, we even took him flying.  Everyone loved Caesar and we were devastated when he passed away suddenly during surgery.  Our second Kees, Emma, was a "foster failure." I got her out of the Lied Animal Shelter for SCKR with the plan of taking her to Southern California to be fostered but we fell in love with her silly antics and applied to adopt her.  After Caesar died I wanted to do something in his memory so I found SCKR and made a donation.  The rest is history and I found myself driving many Keeshonden to Southern California.  It was always bittersweet, I loved to meet them and be part of their journey but it broke my heart to wonder what on Earth they thought was going on.  Being part of SCKR I knew that this would be the beginning of the next part of their journey to a new, loving home which always filled me with pride and satisfaction.  Every year I get to see Keeshonden that I have had the honor to help and their families.  I have been very fortunate to be part of such a worthwhile organization and I look forward to many more years.