Photo by kaigner (Karine Aigner) // We met online. Her picture popped up in a pet finder ad. My Thanksgiving plans had been canceled, and I decided to go for a two-hour drive. “Just to see,” I told myself. When I walked in the room, she beelined toward me like we knew each other. Kali came home that night. What I didn’t know was that she’d spent the first year of her life in a crate in shelters, had never had a family, couldn’t walk on a leash, was scared of everything, and didn’t for one second consider herself a dog. The lost soul soon showed her true spirit in the big city, where she quickly adapted. She was smart and eager. We learned about each other—and became inseparable. In time, Kali overcame her fear of life, learned to trust, and blossomed. She soon walked the streets as if she owned them, accompanying me to restaurants, bars, and any place that would let her in. She lived for our morning runs in the forest. She’s my sidekick and best friend. The bond between us runs deep. T...