I adopted my dog Buddy from the San Francisco Animal Shelter over 11 years ago. Buddy is a great dog of unknown breed. He sort of looks like a Chow-Shepard mix, but also very much resembles an usual breed called an Eurasier. Buddy is 12 years old, but still acts like a puppy at times. Big and furry, he's got a great personality, gentle disposition and loves everyone. Buddy is also a working dog. About 3 years ago he became a volunteer for Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), a program offered by the SF SPCA. Several times a month, Buddy and I will go out to various hospitals, convalescent homes and assisted living facilities around the City to visit with sick children and elderly who seldom have the opportunity to interact with animals. Some are ordinarily almost completely unresponsive to their environment, but will light up when Buddy comes into the room, and others will tell fond memories about long-lost pets they have owned, often with tears in their eyes. The result is highly beneficial to both the residents and Buddy who definitely loves all the attention!
For more information on Buddy and the Eurasier breed, visit Buddy's Bio page at:
http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~cbigot01/buddy.htm.