I went to Town Lake because I lived alone in a tiny duplex on North Loop, and I wanted a big scary dog to keep me company. However, I walked out with a timid, six-month-old puppy who they told me was part German shepherd, part Labrador. Since then I've learned he is also part cat and part deer. He became best friends with my cats, Madonna and Cher, and politely allows Cher to keep his ears clean.

While he wasn't the big scary dog I had envisioned, it turns out I had not adopted Duke for myself at all. When I met my now-husband, I learned that Duke was actually man's best friend. They are inseparable, and Duke pines for him out the window every day when he's away at work.

Now Duke is eight years old, and he still hops around like a deer, even eating the occasional grasshopper. I wouldn't have him any other way.