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We would like to dedicate this book to
all of the people who give animals a second chance
and the love and attention that they deserve.
A special thanks to Johnny, Glee Shaddock
and the San Diego Humane Society
for their continuous support and care.




Johnnys Journey
Written and Illustrated/ Photography by Will Kellogg and Katrina Sayavanh
Additional photography provided by Glee Shaddock




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I wasnt your normal Beagle puppy. Instead of being a gift under a Christmas tree,
I was born a pup in a pack that was bred to hunt wild rabbits and other small
animals. My mother, brothers and sisters were all a part of the pack and were very
talented. We would spend our time with our human companion, roaming the open
landscape. I always followed the huntsmans orders and completed my tasks,
because I liked to make him happy. When I brought the prey back, the huntsman
would smile at me. Good job, Johnny, He would say glowing with pride and
would give me a big pat.




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As I grew from a puppy to a dog I became attached to the huntsman and he became
attached to me. Even if we were not on a hunt, we would be found side by side.
But suddenly, our lives changed. I noticed that he stopped taking our pack hunting.
I noticed that he wanted to stay home in bed all day. I noticed that he was
constantly taking medications. I was confused. Was my human sick?




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Day by day, I saw strangers come and take a member from our pack. My family
and I were slowly being separated! Why was our human still sick? I wanted to stay
with him so that he could get better and we could hunt together again.





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Days turned into weeks and his condition grew worse, until one evening a loud
blaring vehicle with flashing lights came rushing into our driveway. A group of
humans dressed in blue strapped my huntsman down to a small bed on wheels and
took him away. One of the humans took me in his vehicle and dropped me off at
the animal shelter. I never saw the huntsman again.






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Even though I grew to like the kind, friendly people in the animal shelter, I felt a
deep loneliness. I had been at the shelter for a week now and was starting to
wonder if anyone would ever want me again. I couldnt stand the constant barking
and howling of the other dogs, and the floor was always so cold. Bars on the
kennel separated me from the hands that reached towards me. I longed for the feel
of their hands on my ears. I ached for that friendly pat. Sometimes when people
would walk along the cages I would feel a sudden jolt of excitement and hope.
Was it the huntsman? Did he come back for me?

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But eventually I stopped caring about whether or not the humans would stop to
look at me. Instead of eagerly and desperately running up to the bars that separated
up, I resorted to trying to sleep as much possible. When I slept, at least I could
dream about being home with the huntsman or back in the wilderness with my
pack, ready for the chase.







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It was just another day when I heard talking down the hall. My ears perked a little
at the sound of this voice. It was deep, rich and reassuring, but I figured it was just
another set of lookers and decided to fall back asleep. But as I began to drift off,
the voice stopped at my cage. Hey buddy. You awake yet? it said. I opened one
eye. An unfamiliar man was looking back at me, smiling kindly. For a second, a
spark of hope entered my heart.









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Next thing I knew I was adopted. He was a kind man. I had been raised to be a
hunting dog, but now I became a city dog which meant long walks, meeting new
dogs and people, and, my favorite, relaxing on the couch with my new human.








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Then, all of the sudden, my new human began locking me in a cramped box for
hours on end. It reminded me of the shelter with its inescapable bars. Am I in
trouble? Did I do something wrong?












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I hear my owners footsteps every morning as he walks out the door, and all day I
wait for him to come back. When night time comes, he finally arrives homes and
says, Im sorry, I promise Ill play with you more tomorrow. You understand
right? But everytime I wait for tomorrow, I see him walk out the door again. All I
want from my owner is attention and love, but he never seems to have time for me.












One day, he takes me for a ride in the car. I was so excited! Finally, some time

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with my human! However, my excitement quickly turned to despair when I found
myself back at the animal shelter. Johnny was just too much work. I had no time
for him my owner said, handing the shelter human my leash. The worker at the
animal shelter looked at him with disappointment, like she had heard this excuse so
many times before. As we watched him walk away, she sighed and gave me a
reassuring pat.









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After a couple more weeks of being back in the shelter, I began to lose hope. I
knew that even if someone adopted me, it didnt mean I would be with them
forever.











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I woke up from my daily nap and found a blue eyed lady looking at me. Can I
please take him outside? Id like to get to know him better, the lady said to the
worker. Her voice was sweet and gentle. Once outside in the warm sun, she rubbed
my back and said, Hi Johnny, Im Glee. Her smile was friendly and it made me
feel really comfortable. Safe even. Could I trust her? Would she be different?
Something about Glees kind smile and bright eyes made me have hope again. The
caring way she talked to me and her steady affection told me I could trust her. I
laid my head in her outstretched palm and looked up at her with my sad, brown
eyes, hoping that she was the one.

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Glee took me home that day and my life has never been better. She made me
realize what real love and a forever home feels like. Instead of being locked in a
dark lonely kennel, I got to be what Glee called a Puppy Ambassador. Along with
sharing Glee's love, I have a duty to show up to birthday parties, hospitals and The
Humane Society. I love meeting new people and now it is a part of my everyday
job. I was a deemed champion of good behavior, and I even had a shiny gold
plaque to prove it! The future is bright and I am so happy and grateful to have a
second chance.



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This book was made possible by a partnership with the class of 2017 from High
Tech High International, The San Diego Humane Society and Glee Shaddock.

For more information on adopting a pet from a shelter in San Diego, go to:
http://www.sdhumane.org


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