During the spring recess, May Ning took her daughter to the local animal shelter which they liked to visit.

Most of the animals in the shelter were brought in by their owners. A few of them were strayed animals. May Ning's family had allergies and could not have pets furry or with feathers, so they liked to visit the local animal shelter to look at the animals there.

They went straight to the cells where the dogs were kept. There were only a few dogs behind the iron bars. Most of the dogs they had seen last time were gone. They must have been adopted.

Animals in the shelter, if not adopted for a period of time would be put to sleep. But it did not happen often. Many people visited the place and they tended to adopt.

May Ning saw a young couple who seemed very interested in adopting a big tan shepherd dog. The dog must be a new arrival because it didn't have a cell yet. Its fur was shinny and thick. Its eyes were bright and alert. The woman kept calling the dog, “Babe.”

Susanne, one of the staff members at the shelter came. She and the couple took Babe to a far corner of the yard. She threw a red ball into the air. Babe jumped high and caught it in midair, its fur bright in the sunlight. If we weren't allergic we could adopt it, Man Ning thought.

The woman knelt down and rubbed Babe all over. Babe seemed to enjoy it. The man sat on the ground and let Babe lick his face. May Ning had not seen a couple so taken by a dog in the shelter.

Another couple came. They were led by another staff member. They took a black little puppy with just a white spot at the tip of its tail to another corner. The little puppy wasn't interested in a ball thrown in the air. It just wagged its tail at the couple.

In a little while the staff member left the puppy with the couple and went back to the office. She came back with adoption papers in her hand. The puppy and the couple followed the staff member to the office. The puppy must have been adopted! What a happy thing! 

May Ning and her daughter followed them and watched them from the glass window. The couple was filling the forms.  The little puppy wagged its tails at the couple's feet. Tonight it would have a warm home to sleep in and owners to love it. 

More people came. From the clinic across the cells came a sad howling. Usually some dogs were put there for observation. The dogs in the cells started to howl as well, a sad chorus. 

May Ning and her daughter went back to the yard. The couple was gone. Bsbe was behind a new cell.

Susanne came back and put Babe's information on the cell. It read “Babe, nine-month old, a male sheep dog of mixed breed. He can easily jump six feet.”

May Ning asked Susanne why the couple who seemed so interested in Babe didn't adopt him.

“They were his owner!” Susanne said.

She explained to May Ning and her daughter that the couple lived in a subdivision which only allowed fence six feet high.

When they first bought Babe, they didn't realize he was a high jumper. He had jumped over the fence and destroyed neighbor's plants and had been reported to the police three times. That was why his owners had to send him to the shelter, hoping someone would adopt him.

May Ning and her daughter were enamored by Babe and couldn't leave.

A policeman and policewoman showed up.

May Ning immediately started pitching for Babe to them.

“This dog can jump high. He can be very useful to your work!”

“We know,” the policewoman said. “We were the people Babe's neighbor reported to. We knew Babe was coming to the Shelter today so we came by to say hello.”

The policewoman rubbed Babe's head and she and her partner left. 

Susanne returned to the cell and brought a big bone for Babe. It was a gift to any dog who just arrived.

Babe paid straight attention to Susanne but ignored the bone.

Babe eyed his new cell up and down. He wagged his tail whenever someone walked passing his cell.

A couple with  three children came. They also fell in love with Babe at first sight. But they lived in an apartment and couldn't afford a big dog let alone a dog that could jump high.

May Ning prayed that Babe would find a new owner soon. She and daughter wandered around the shelter to see other animals

When they came back to Babe, a middle-age couple with a teenage daughter also showed up.

The teenager put her hand through the iron bars and petted Babe.

Babe waited his tail happily.

“Please, God, let her adopt Babe,” May Ning prayed in silence.

The teenager's parents told May Ning their old dog had died from a heart-attack recently and they were looking for a substitute. But where they lived the fence was only three feet high.

“But Babe can stay at Grandpa's farm,” the girl said. 

“You have to ask Grandpa first,” the mother said.

“I'll call Grandpa now.”

The girl went aside and called her grandfather on her mobile phone.

May Ning kept praying. She and her daughter had spent the whole afternoon at the shelter and they simply could not leave Babe there.

The girl smiled at her parents and said loudly, “Grandpa said yes. He said yes. We can leave Babe at his place. And we can visit Grandpa and Grandma more often....”

The family went happily to the office to fill out the adoption papers.

“Happy  New Year!” They said to May Ning and her daughter as they were leaving. 

“Happy New Year! Happy Year of the Dog!” May Ning replied. 

The slanting sun shone brightly on Babe. May Ning stroked his back through the iron bars.

“Congratulations Babe and Happy Year of the Dog!”