This is a hello from Willa in Inverness, FL. It was one year ago tonight that I was southbound in a transport van to my new home in Inverness with Karen and Bill Thompson and my older sister, Sassy, a sweet little orange and white Brittany. A year ago tonight, it was cold and raining. The van had been on the road all day. All of us were in crates and very tired and apprehensive about where we were going.

We pulled into the Steak and Shake in Wildwood, Florida and went to the back of the parking lot. A little car in the back of the lot blinked it's headlights. I remember the van driver talking on a cell phone to the people in the car, telling then that Will to Love was almost ready to join them in her new life.

The driver took me out of the crate and I saw these 2 people with gray hair and a little Brittany waiting for me. I got into the back seat with the Brittany and we rode for about 30 minutes in the cold and rain to my new house. At first I didn't know what to make of them. The other dog was ok, but not really a coonhound. The people were very nice to me and showed me a wonderful soft doggie bed and a crate with my name on it, soft and lovely. There were double water bowls so we would never be thirsty. There was a big fenced back yard with trees for shade and soft grass to lay in. There was a wonderful back screened porch with a wicker love seat that was to become my personal perch to watch my yard and squirrels and birds and any other little critters that might wander in.

Over the last year, I changed from a dog that growled at any attempt to love on me to one who wants to be loved and cuddled. My Mom has a way of massaging my shoulders that makes all those little knots and tight places just go away. She loves me so much and hugs me every morning. She does let me sleep until I am ready to get up because you told her I was always the very last puppy to get out of bed.

I love my forever home. I love my Mom, my Daddy and my sister. I put my paw on my Daddy so he cannot leave the room without me knowing it. I kiss my sister and she kisses me on the face. We love to run in the back yard and take great joy in barking and racing all over the place. Everyone that comes to visit Mommy and Daddy LOVES ME. I have made so many people just love black and tans. I have won over at least 8 friends that think I am absolutely the cutest thing to come along in a long time. I think Daddy's friends are hunters and they really relate to me (and my sister, Sassy- a bird dog).

I just wanted you to know that I thank you for giving me to my very own family,,,,,,my forever family for sure. I still dig in the yard when they forget to put on my zap collar but I have not run off in at least 9 months. I did that at the beginning if someone left the door open a smidge, and Mommy would drive her car all over and finally find me. But now that I love my family, I have no desire to bolt and run away.

Mommy and Daddy gave me a great birthday present about 3 weeks ago. We have a huge dog park here in Inverness called Bark Central and Sassy and I can go there now whenever we want. Mom and Dad took me and Sassy and I was so excited I drooled the whole time I was there. There are a lot of different dogs and I passed the test to see if I would be a good dog in the park. I spent several hours there just exploring and smelling all the 15 acres of the park. Dad has a hard time going there because of his stroke and breaking his hip, so Mommy will be taking me and Sassy for a couple of hours 2 or 3 times a week. We have fun getting dirty but there are showers to clean us up before we go home. Mommy also takes us to a groomer once a month and she is so good. Her name is Karen too, just like Mommy. She gives us baths, cuts our nails, empties our anal glands, (for Sassy she shaves a poop shute and cuts the fur between her pads) but I don't need that since I have a beautiful, glossy black coat that is the envy of all the dogs at the groomers. She also takes special care in making sure our ears are clean and free of any bad stuff!

Please know that Will to Love is in her forever home with Karen and Bill Thompson and older sister, Sassy. We love her so much and she is our family, as is Sassy, forever.

Karen and Bill