Considering it was only her third official day volunteering, Olivia figured the moments of awe that kept washing over her were to be expected. Even so, the High Grove Animal Shelter was so much more than simply a place to adopt a pet. She’d heard enough remarkable second- and even third- or fourth-chance rescue stories to have been more deeply moved than she’d have imagined possible. But beyond rescue and adoption, the shelter was a place of connection.

She was already losing track of how many families had popped in with previously adopted pets to grab something from the gift shop or simply to say hi and share their post-adoption training successes. The shelter was a popular spot for other reasons, too, like the birthday parties and training classes that seemed to go on several times a week.

And even knowing this, Olivia was still in awe witnessing the group of people who’d congregated in the front room as the two-person news crew set up for filming. Pepper, the stout Rottweiler, clearly had a special place in many hearts. She’d been one of nearly forty confiscated dogs from a large-scale fighting ring last fall.

Tess, who was standing next to Olivia, said, “Obviously we’re all about spaying and neutering, considering how many animals are still put to sleep each year, but she was pregnant when she came in. I was lucky enough to be there when she delivered her pups.”

“That must’ve been something.”

“It really was. And she was a great mom.”

Pepper looked completely relaxed being in the shelter again, and she didn’t seem affected by the small group of people gathering around her. Mostly, the sweet-looking dog just appeared to have eyes for her owner, a middle-aged woman with striking silvery-gray hair.

The Channel 3 reporter, a twentysomething brunette, was giving the owner a rundown of how the interview would likely go once they started filming. “I’m thinking of ‘from disposable to indispensable’ as a tagline. Of course, we know she was never disposable, but clearly the people who wanted to fight her thought so, and I like the way it brings the story full circle.”

Pepper’s owner, who was tugging nervously on her zipper, nodded. “Makes sense to me.”