Hi Barbara and Penny,
Barbara, thank you for your honesty. I only ever once had a dog -- when I was a child I had a miniature schnauzer. I would love to have another dog, but my son is petrified of them. I strongly suspect that if I were to adopt a dog, their meeting would result in one or both of them being injured -- or worse.
Penny, I'm delighted that the ending came as a surprise.
Joy,
Lynn