【推荐2】“I am ready for the responsibility(责任),” Adam had said last week. Today , that meant they were choosing a new dog. As they drove up to the place, Adam was filled with excitement. He’d wanted a dog for years, but his parents had always said “ you will love it for a few months, and then we will have to take care of your dog.” Finally , he was getting his dog.

They entered the animal shelter(收容所) and were greeted by a friendly woman. She explained how important it was to choose a dog for life, not just for a short time. Then she led them to the back. Dogs were barking(犬叫) and sounded lonely.

Adam’s father walked beside him. He shook his head and said, “It is heartbreaking. Someone got these dogs, loved them, and then moved on without them. People lose their houses, move away, or just get too busy for them. The dogs suffer for people’s mistakes.”

“We won’t make that mistake,” Adam promised.

“ No, we won’t. Once we choose one, it is part of our family. Family doesn’t throw away family. We didn’t throw grandpa away when he was sick. We took care of him until the end,” his father said.

Adam nodded. He remembered helping grandpa a lot.

“How about that one?” Adam suggested, reading the name tag(标签). It said, ”Walnuts.” His father read the papers next to the name tag. “ He’s three years old, healthy, and housetrained. Your mother will be pleased with him.”

Adam took Walnuts home that afternoon. Mom loved him right away, too. Adam was responsible for Walnuts for the rest of the dog’s life. He took care of his dog and even took him off to college with him.

【推荐3】Life as a 340-pound man had become unmanageable for Erie O’Grey. When not traveling for work, he rarely left his apartment. He took about 15 medicines, including weight-loss drugs. He tried dieting, but nothing worked. Then two things during a flight inspired him to go to see a naturopathic (自然疗法的) doctor. O’Grey had an embarrassing incident when the flight crew had to wait for a seat belt extension for him before the plane took off. Then he saw news about “plant-based” diets.

The doctor recommended a plant-based diet and also ordered him to adopt a shelter dog and walk him twice a day for 30 minutes. Armed with new recipes and the order, he went to the local shelter with visions of the perfect dog dancing through his head, one that never barked or disobeyed orders. But the adoption coordinator (协调人) brought in a very fat dog with skin problems.

“The dog looked at me with a clear sense of disappointment. Then his head hung low,” O’Grey said.” I can relate to that." The coordinator told him they had much in common and that they both need work on the same things. O’Grey took the dog home and named him “Peety”. They began going for walks. At first, O’Grey could only take his new companion about 100 yards. But Peety seemed to like it. “He just looked up at me like he was so appreciative.”

Their twice-daily exercise gradually got longer as O’Grey began to enjoy walking through his neighborhood with Peety. As they lost weight and grew healthier together, the pair developed a tight bond. In six months, Grey quit all medicines. Over time O’Grey discovered he loved long-distance running. Now he runs an average of five to six marathons a year.

On the journey toward a healthier, happier life, O’Grey becomes a lover of long-distance running and dog adoption. He’s also co-written a book, Walking with Peety: The Dog Who Saved My Life, encouraging others struggling with obesity to turn it around.