Sarah Welch is a book editor and writing coach and the owner of Inkdrop Lit. She lives in Austin with her four boys: Husband Matt, cat Barney, Labrador Oliver, and Austin Brown Dog Bo. As for the origin of her love for rescue dogs, well, Sarah's mom can tell us about that:

The First Rescue Dog

First, there was the dog. Not an Austin dog, a Dallas dog. She was tall and lanky, black with a white stripe on her chest. Part Labrador retriever and part something else—maybe Great Dane, which would account for the tall and lanky. I brought her home from the animal shelter as a puppy, and she became a beloved part of my family. Then there was the girl. A Dallas girl, at least for a while. She was small at first, but she grew to be tall and svelte. All blond, no stripes. I brought her home from the hospital as a baby, my daughter, and she is a beloved part of my family, too. The dog’s name was Judge. The girl’s name is Sarah.

Judge loved Sarah from the very start. She would lie by Sarah’s bassinet when Sarah slept, occasionally putting her nose over the edge to be sure that Sarah was safe and sound. When Sarah awoke, Judge would run down the hallway, a dog on a mission, to let me know that it was time for me to come get our baby. When Sarah ate, Judge would wait by her high chair to pick up all the crumbs that Sarah dropped on the floor. And for many years, where ever Sarah played, Judge was right beside her.

As happens, Judge has left us. We cried, and we still miss her. While this isn’t the story of an Austin dog, it is the story of the very first rescue dog who loved the Dallas girl who grew up be an Austin woman writing a book to benefit Austin Brown Dogs—and black ones, too. Judge would be proud.

DEDICATION

For Hank.