Rescuing a Dog From a Puppy Mill Was the Hardest Thing I've Ever Done

When we met Vichy (the rescue organization gave her that name temporarily), she was the most terrified, anxious, doe-eyed little bundle that I could have pictured. We met at SFO International on Jan. 11, 2013, and the volunteer told us that she was the only dog in a group of about 15 who didn't go to the bathroom in her crate. I interpreted that not as an achievement but an indication of her sheer terror.

After hearing that she hadn't gone to the bathroom in a million hours, we sprinted through the airport together in search of a door.