Puppy Love

Ruby the Dog gets a new lease on life.

DOG: Ruby, a 13-year-old shepherd and Australian cattle dog mix

OWNERS: Laura Hockenbeck, Waldwick Laura visited the Oakland Animal Shelter more than a decade ago and when she met Ruby, a shepherd– Australian cattle dog mix. Just about 2 years old at the time, Ruby was “skin and bones,” Laura recalls, but she gravitated toward the pooch’s playful personality. It was puppy love at first sight. Much of that youthful spirit still shines through today: “She loves running up to robins and squirrels, and when people walk by, she wants to lick their faces and play,” Laura reports. “We love having her, and we know that she truly appreciates everything we have given her.”