My name is Hubert and I adopted a beautiful dog named Saba in 1996. The last time I had a dog prior to that was when I was about 8 years old and my memories of it were filled with fun and laughter so for the longest time I wanted another dog.

I finally made a decision to get a dog when I was in University, and although very busy it felt like the time was right. I didn't have any preference and I didn't really care how small or large it would be or what gender. At the time I shared my wish with my girlfriend (who is now my wife), and a short time later on my birthday she took me to a Humane Society in Kitchener.

I don't remember how long I was at the shelter because the only thing I can remember is seeing a medium size dog lying down on the floor, looking scared. All other dogs were barking and jumping, except for one dog. My wife later told me that she too picked that dog because it looked like it needed the most attention.

It turned out to be a female, mix between German shepherd and Australian shepherd, about 12 weeks old. We named her Saba. It took a few days for the Humane Society to release the dog.

During the 9 years that she lived, we were inseparable. She was truly a smart dog, and I was able to teach her tricks with only a few repetitions. Probably her weakest spot was our cat Sylvester who she was afraid of (yes, an 80 lbs dog was afraid of a 10 lbs cat - that's how gentle she was) - our cat was also adopted through the Humane Society.

Although Saba thanked me every day with her love for possibly saving her life by adopting her, she probably saved mine at one point too.

I thank you for allowing me to share my story as it is something not a lot of people know about. I think it is great that a company like Pedigree sponsors these kinds of programs in our community.

Hubert