Thomas wasn’t looking to adopt. He wasn’t even searching for a dog. He was only stopping by Riverside Animal Shelter to drop off donated supplies before heading home. But then he met Hank. Hank was a three-year-old mixed breed who had spent seven months waiting for someone to choose him. Many people had walked past him, and every time someone left, his heart broke a little more. Thomas sat with him for just a few minutes. He scratched his ears, gave him some love, and then stood up to leave. That’s when Hank reached out and grabbed his sleeve. He wasn’t trying to stop him with force. He was just scared of losing another person. His paws held onto Thomas’s arm as he quietly shook, begging without making a sound. Thomas stopped. He looked down at Hank… then sat back on the floor. The moment he did, Hank climbed into his lap, relaxed, and pressed his face into his shoulder. That was the moment Thomas knew. He called his landlord, arranged everything, and before the shelter closed that day, Hank finally had a home. Sometimes we don’t choose the dog… sometimes the dog finds us.