Tucker – On April 18, 2012, I visited a shelter in rural Michigan to help with a puppy mill bust. Instead of leaving that day with the anticipated rescues I had in mind, I left with Tucker. Tucker had caution notes all over his file. How could a dog this cute be so bad, I thought. That day changed the course of how I would see my purpose in the rescue community. Tucker took me on an unforgettable journey that taught me how important it is to trust your gut, to never give up, and what true unconditional love is. He was one of ALIVE Rescue’s first Little Barn residents, and we dubbed him the mediator. He was able to interact with every dog we took in, no matter their behavior. If two dogs started getting overly rough with each other, he would step in and let them know to calm down. And they listened. Over the course of the next year and a half, we learned the reason we were warned about his behavior. To say Tucker was a wild child would be an understatement. We tried everything to get him to a point where he could safely be adopted into a home, including hiring an animal communicator who told us Tucker wanted to be euthanized. WHAT? That was never an option for us. We knew he had other plans bigger than we could imagine. It was at that point that I welcomed Tucker into my home and started the process of looking for a sanctuary where he could live out his life the way it was intended. He LOVED other dogs, and I knew in my heart there was a place for him. During that time, he made me laugh on a daily basis with his naughtiness. One day, we received an email back from a sanctuary in Texas willing to take him. I flew down for a visit, thinking it was too good to be true, but when I arrived, I knew immediately that this would be Tucker’s new (and final) forever home. ALIVE Rescue immediately started planning for his trip.