Poor Lucy has found herself in a shelter again. What will happen to her now? Read on to find out.

I do not own NCIS or its characters, including Lucy Dog.

Also, I've left an important message at the end of this chapter. It's vital that you read it!

When the Desk Lady put me in a kennel, my mind wouldn't stop racing. What was I doing here? Shelters were for dogs that had no owners. Why would my male owner leave me here? I barked for him to return, but he never came back. Not the rest of the day. Not after I fell asleep. Not after I had woken up. Not when I was fed. Not for what felt like days. Despite everything, I kept wondering when he and the rest of my family were coming to get me and take me home.

On what I think was the fourth day of my imprisonment, I turned to the dog in the kennel to the right of mine. She was an older girl judging by her gray muzzle. Think she was some sort of hound mix who was light brown and white. "When will my owners come and get me? I've been in here for days now. I just want to go home."

The older dog lifted her head and turned to me. "Try being in here for weeks. Where did they pick you up at? They caught me while I was searching for grubs behind a fast food joint."

I gave her a confused stare. "I wasn't picked up anywhere. My male owner brought me here."

The hound mix huffed. "Let me guess, he signed some papers at the front desk."

"Yeah, so?"

"Owner surrender. It happens."

My head turned sideways. "Owner surrender? What does that mean?"

"It means that your owners don't want you anymore, so they bring you here to this place for all homeless pets."

I backed away in doubt. I was in this shelter because my owners didn't want me anymore? That just couldn't be true. My family loved me. They would never do such a thing like that.

As if reading my thoughts, the old hound explained further. "Don't feel bad, now. My owners got rid of me too. Got a new puppy and didn't want an old dog like me around no more. So they'd left me in an alley way. Least yours had the decency to place you in here rather than let you starve and rot."

My head shook. "But, my family wouldn't just decide that they don't want me anymore. I'm their dog. They mean everything to me."

"Well, if they'd put you in here, means that you didn't mean everything to them."

I paced around the kennel still in disbelief. How could this be? This old hound had to be mistaken. My owners loved me. They would never just decide to get rid of me.

"Hey, are you okay?" I turned to the dog in the kennel on my left. Like me, he was a Pit Bull. Only he was white with shaded patches, one of which was over one of his eyes. He gave me a gentle look with his puppy dog eyes. "You seem pretty stress. Mind talking about it?"

Looking for some comfort, I turned towards him. "This hound says that my owners put me here because they don't want me anymore. But that can't be true, can it? They're my family. Why would they give me up?"

"Did something happen? Maybe they got upset because they thought you did something wrong."

At first, I shook. There was nothing I did wrong. I always did what a good dog is suppose to do. I gave all my owners plenty of love. I cleaned any messes left on the floor. I took them on walks and played with them. I protected them at all…. Wait, what about my girl? She got hurt while I was on a walk with her. I failed to save her from falling off her bike. Could that be why I was in here? Because I didn't follow one of the duties enlisted to all dogs? Now it all made sense.

"Actually, yeah" I answered. "My little girl got hurt on my watch. They must have thought that I wouldn't be able to protect them. That's why I'm here. It's my own fault." Realizing my failure, I laid down, put my paws over my face and whined.

The other Pit Bull put his paw against my wall. "Hey, don't feel bad. A lot of dogs at shelters came from owners who surrendered them. Take me for example. I'm here because my owner's baby girl almost fell in a ditch. I saved her by grabbing her leg, but her parents were pretty upset that I'd almost let her fall in, especially since my grabbing left teeth marks on her leg."

The old hound breathed deeply. "Sounds like those humans thought that you'd attacked her, when really you'd saved that baby."

"She almost fell in that ditch because I hadn't been paying close enough attention." The other Pit Bull gave me a caring look. "The point is, you're not the only dog who failed to protect their owner. But there's a bright side to this. Since we were put in a shelter, then another family can adopt us. Give us a second chance."

I lifted my head. "A second chance?"

"Yeah, a chance to be a good dog to another owner."

"You mean, replacing my owners with new ones? That sounds harsh."

He shook. "No, no, no. Don't think of it as replacing your family. No family could ever replace the one you once had. Think of it as them filling in the empty hole in your heart that was left when your owners dropped you off here. Don't you want to fill it in?"

I didn't know how to answer him. As much as I wished to feel welcomed into a human family once again, I just wasn't so sure. My mother said that a dog's place was with her people. But what happened when you lose your owners? Geez, this must have been what she felt like when she lost hers. I hadn't realized how much it actually hurt her back then. Was she just as reluctant about letting new owners into her heart or did she accept being someone else's dog when she'd been adopted? I wish I knew what happened to her after I was adopted.

Still deep in my own thoughts, the old hound pawed at me. "You ought to listen to that other pitty. Life is too short to whine about a loss forever. Might as well relieve yourself of that heartache with a fresh start."

I stared at her questioningly. "You mean, I should find a new family?"

The old hound grinned. "Think that this is my first time in a shelter? No, I've been in and out of these places quite a few times. Was adopted by a human or two. Been called lots of names. First owners called me Sweetie. Second was Princess. Lucy's the one my last owners called me. But Bella's the one I had the longest time. It means beautiful, ya know?" She frowned when she got lost in her own thoughts.

Feeling sorry for what this hound must have gone through, I spoke sympathetic to her. "You must miss all of your owners."

She shrugged. "Some more than others. But, through every one of them, I learned something. And that in turn made me into a better dog. Might do the same to you too."

My tail wagged. Maybe there was some truth in what this elder dog was saying. She did sound like she experienced so much in her lifetime. Perhaps both she and the other Pit Bull were right. Rather than whine about the loss of my owners, I should allow new ones to adopt me. To let me have another chance to be someone's dog. And this time, I was determined to be a good dog.

Just so you know, me getting new owners is a lot like when a human gets a new dog. If any of you humans ever had a dog, you probably know by now that we dogs don't live as long as you humans do. You're lucky that most of you reach the age of eight decades. Most dogs don't get pass two decades. Bet it broke your heart into pieces when your furry best friend had to say goodbye to you. I know how you feel. But that doesn't mean it can't be fixed. And I heard once that the best way to heal after the loss of a pet is to find a new friend. Most dog owners don't get another dog because they feel as though they're replacing the one they'd lost. Take it from a dog whose had lots of owners. It's not replacing your dog. That old hound's owners getting rid of her so that they could have a puppy, now that's replacing a dog. So please don't do that. But we dogs understand and accept that when the time comes to tell our owners goodbye, our owners can gladly get another furry companion if they want to. As long as their new friend fills up that emptiness in our human's heart, that's all that matters. Anyway, back to my story.

A week after I'd been placed in the shelter, a couple that was a bit younger than my first adult owners adopted me. When they took me out of the kennel, I said my goodbyes to the old hound and other Pit Bull. "Good luck finding your families."

"Thanks" the other Pit But said happily. "Good luck with your new one."

The old hound grinned with sadness in her eyes. "Think I'm too old for a new one. But I'm glad you've found another."

"Hey, I'm sure a human will pick a dog as sweet as you" I tried to cheer her up.

"Dogs pick their people, you know." That was the last thing she said to me before my new owners took me away. I'm sorry to say that I never did see that old hound ever again. If I had, I would have thanked her for what she last told me. For it stuck with me for years to come.

The couple who adopted me were quite different than my first owners. They lived in a tall building like my first ones, only their room was on the bottom. They called me Lady. Course, my new male owner often called me Lady McBeth. At first, it was hard being called a different name than the one I've had for a long time. But overtime, I got used to hearing my new owners call me Lady. Pretty soon, Cupcake was no more and Lady was what I answered to.

They also didn't have any children, which disappointed me. I'd always loved playing with the kids, going to the park with them and having them give me treats from under the table. Grown ups just aren't as fun. No offense to any of you grown ups.

While I missed having children around, I did grow to like this couple. Like my first owners, the female went out most days, leaving the male at home with me. But without any children, I was left to entertain him. He liked watching the TV, especially the channel with the large humans that played fetch with an oddly shaped ball. As he yelled at the screen, I ate some of his pizza, chips, greenish dip and chicken that he spilled on the floor. He sure did make quite a mess. I'd also ensured he got plenty of exercise by grabbing my leash and barking until he took me on a walk. When my female owner got home, I always greeted her with kisses and happy yips. She in turn played Fetch with me in the late evenings. She also taught me how to do tricks like Sit, Lay Down, Roll Over, Come and Stay. I loved doing tricks, especially when I got a treat. Both of my owners also loved to snuggle up on the couch at night while I laid by their feet. And even though they didn't give me food from the table, I didn't mind the kibble they fed me. Besides, they made up for it with all the pizza, chips and other tasty foods the male dropped on the floor. And I ensured that I was a good protector by guarding the home at all times. If someone I didn't know approached the door, I met them with deep and loud barks to let them know that this home was protected by a dog. That made most of those intruders runaway in a hast. Now that was a job well done.

But sometimes, when I scared intruders away with my loud barking, my owners gave me worried looks. "She sure does make for a good guard dog" my female owner spoke one day.

"Aren't you concerned?" My male owner asked her. "What if she attacks someone?"

"She's just barking. Not biting. Besides, it's good to have some protection. Beats an alarm system any day."

Oh yeah. I kept my vow to be a better protector with my new owners. That I am sure of. Cause hardly anyone came to our door after I'd given plenty of intruders a few threatening barks. But sometimes, what you think is enough just isn't.

I lived with that couple for the rest of the summer season. But when the leaves started to change their colors, something else changed in my home. I sensed it the moment my female owner arrived home after being gone almost the entire day. She went over to my male owner with a heavy sigh.

"Doctor told me that it'll come by next spring" her face glowed as she spoke softly to him.

"That's wonderful" my male owner said with joy. "We're gonna have to get a bigger place, find a good school, I better look into well paid jobs, and…"

My female owner touched his cheek. "Hey, there's still one thing we need to consider."

"What's that?"

"Lady."

They both looked at me with the same sad expressions my previous owners gave me right before surrendering me to the shelter. No, not again. Please, don't let it be so. I've tried so hard to be a good dog. I give them my love, I clean up after them, I play fetch and walk them, and I made sure to protect them at all cost. Why? Why would they think about getting rid of me after all I'd done for them?

"I would hate for her to be put in that shelter again" my female owner spoke softly.

My male owner frowned. "But what if she hurts our baby?"

My female owner shook her head. "I guess you're right. Can't we at least find a good home for her?"

"I heard of someone who has experience with Pit Bulls and other guard dogs."

The very next day, the whole heartbreak started all over again. Once again, my owners got me in the car and drove me far from the house. I didn't feel like sticking my head out the window this time. I knew what would happen next. They were taking me right back to the shelter. But what had I done? Neither of them got hurt while I'd been with them. Sure, my female owner's belly was extending a bit. But that was because she was eating too many treats, right? Other than that, I tried to be a good dog. Didn't they know that? As the car drove on, I'd put my paws over my head begging them not to surrender me to the shelter.

Unfortunately, I was surrendered. But not to a shelter. Instead, they took me to a place that had human homes that were only two rooms tall with triangle shaped tops and fields of grass behind them. I'd never seen homes like them before. Yet, they all appeared so appealing. My body ached to sniff all the trees that were around those homes.

Then we stopped at a home with lots of trees and flowers in the front. There was also a dog that didn't smell like a dog and was doing Stay so well that he hadn't moved a muscle. Behind the house, I heard lots of other dogs barking to be played with.

A big man with fur on his face came out to meet my owners. "Hey, you the couple I talked with over the phone?"

My male owner got out with me. "Yeah. You Pit?"

"That's what they call me, even though I prefer Dobermans." He looked at me. "That the dog you told me about?"

"She's Lady" my female owner explained as she got out. "And yes. We're having a baby and…"

"Say no more. You wish for me to take her, right?"

"We're just worried that she'll hurt our baby."

I'd pricked my ears up. What were my owners talking about? And why had they'd brought me here? If this isn't the shelter, could that mean that they weren't surrendering me? My tail wagged at that thought. Had I'd known what was to come next, my tail would have dropped.

That was when a young female human came out with two brown and black dogs who were really muscular. "Hey, uncle. Can I play fetch with Champ and Izzy?"

The furry faced man nodded at her. "Sure, Bella." He turned back to my owners. "My niece might be soft. But she's a whole lot better than my useless nephew. As for your dog…"

"Can you take her?" My male owner asked.

"Actually, I know a guy who's looking for a couple of good guard dogs. Says he trusts pits more than any other dog. Don't know why. Got plenty of Dobermans and Rots that would make for fine guard dogs. Anyway, he's coming in a few days. I'm sure he'll like a dog like her."

My male owner nodded. "Well, she barks at anyone who comes to the door."

"Sounds like a guard dog to me."

My female owner petted me. "We really appreciate this. We just don't want to see her in the shelter again."

"No problem. I'll keep her here till the guy arrives. Sure she and my dogs will all get along."

Just then, one of those muscular dogs came right up to me with a playful yip. "Hi, I'm Izzy! You want to play with my brother and me?"

Now, who would turn down an offer to play? "Of course!" My female owner took my collar off and let me loose to play with Izzy and Champ. And dog, were those two fun! They were mighty strong, but careful not to damage the fuzzy ball the young human threw. Champ caught the ball the most, while Izzy tackled us the most. I mostly chased the ball. It was so much fun. So much that I hadn't noticed when my owners were leaving till I had the ball in my mouth. I saw them drive in their car that was taking them back on the road. My female owner gave me one last sad look before turning away.

Oh no, they'd forgot to take me with me. I tried to chase after them, but the fur faced man put a looped leash over me and held me back. I barked for my owners to come back, but they never did. That was the last I'd ever saw them.

What's worse than a dog who was owner surrendered? The answer, a dog who was owner surrendered twice! What more will Lucy have to go through till she finds her forever home?

Can you make a guess who this foster carer called Pit is from? I'll give you a hint, he really likes Dobermans.

P.S. Invasive pythons continue to be a massive problem to Florida's wildlife. Ever since people brought them to the United States from Southeast Asia through the exotic pet trade and released them into the wild, their numbers have skyrocketed. With their high reproductive rate and long life span, pythons continue to disrupt Florida's ecosystem as their population increases. These snakes outcompete native species for food and other resources and they have decreased the numbers of many other creatures. They eat everything from rabbits, raccoons, deer, opossums, foxes, bobcats, and even Florida panthers. Other than vehicle strikes and habitat loss, invading pythons are one of the main causes for the beautiful Florida panther's large decrease in population. Today, there are just about 200 of them left in the wild. Because of the problem that humans have caused, these big cats may disappear in a matter of years. Since the Burmese python's massive size and quick growth make them less likely to be prey on by natural predators, it is up to us humans to remove them. Several ideas have been proposed to control the thriving Burmese python population in Florida, from biocontrol, using dogs to detect pythons, and even bounty hunting. I'm not saying that we ought to shoot any pythons loose in Florida. That's not right. It's not those snakes faults that they ended up in a place they don't belong in. And I'm not advising that you should try to catch a python with your bare hands if you happen to stumble upon one in the wild. Remember, they are able to kill anything the size of a deer. It's extremely dangerous for anyone with no experience with large snakes to handle them. Instead, if you do spot a python in the wilds of Florida, notify local wildlife authorities and let them handle the snake. Another more humane way to remove these snakes is setting traps with the use of devices with an inescapable funnel and a drift fence that directs snake movement towards the trap. While trapping can work on a smaller scale to rid these pythons, every invasive snake removed saves multiple natural Florida wildlife. And the more people working to remove these pythons, the more of Florida's natural ecosystem can be saved. Remember, invasive predators such as mongooses and rats threaten to cause many seabirds to go extinct. But through the passion and dedication of people who worked to remove these invasive species and design fenced in habitats that blocked any rats or mongooses, the seabirds have made a comeback! If we can work together to help save seabirds from alienated species, then we can do the same with Florida's wildlife. The time to act is now!