"When Dusty, starving and sick, is picked up on the side of the highway after losing his pack, he's lucky to be alive. The tiny Chihuahua is small enough to fit in two hands and needs special care to be nursed back to health before he can be adopted out to a forever family. Dusty recovers at the Sterling Center, where they train Search and Rescue dogs. Though the Sterlings don't think a dog as small as Dusty can do the tireless work of a SAR dog,...

"Gem is a golden retriever puppy who loves to dig. She gets adopted out to a handful of would-be forever families, but no matter how much she wants to please her new people, she can't keep herself from digging up the roses...and the lawn...and the couch cushions...anything that's remotely diggable. Over and over she is returned to the shelter. The folks at the Sterling Center recognize Gem's flaw as an asset. A dog this driven could really shine in...