In 2009, after making the decision to adopt a Lab, then Clearwater Labrador Rescue sent Sheri Descarreaux-Kulow to my apartment to be evaluated. I was approved and I asked what's next. She sent me to their website and said start meeting your future furry friend. And to let the dog choose you, you'll know when the time is right. I went through all of the available rescues, but didn't get that response. She said don't rush it. You'll know. She sent me to the neighboring rescue to Vicky Bowles Walls-Drown and after looking over dogs there I noticed at the very bottom of the page Sweet William (an odd name I never heard for a pup). It looked really thin. As an impulse, I drove an hour and a half to foster Vanessa's (can't remember last name) house in the pouring rain it but stopped as I arrived. I walked up the wet driveway and only got out a single "Hello" as she stood in her doorway at the house. Out walks this little boy slowly looking at me while approaching. I stop. He continues to walk up, wraps his body around my feet and lays down. Inside my head fireworks are going off, He chose me! Vanessa informs me they do not know where he came from as he was found wandering dehydrated alongside a road. And he had a barking issue and was sometimes known to bark 8 hours non-stop and had to be muzzled a lot. I'm up for the challenge, let's do this! After renaming him Maxwell (responded very excitedly towards it being Vanessa's black Labs name he lived with), and later adding a black Lab Mysty, we had 14 years of an exciting happy life. I didn't even know I could be that happy. He was pure sunshine in my life and every decision I made living and working revolved around how to make their lives better. He had near death experiences 4-5 times since 2017 but pulled through shocking Vets who warned me this was it. January 2023 he let me know it was time. It's the most important thing that's happened in my life. An experience I would've never had in my lifetime had it not been this rescue organization. Thank you!