4 stories that will warm your heart

A wonderful warmth

“Max growled as I tried pulling his doggy blanket out from under him. It needed to be washed, but as usual, he wouldn’t part with his prized possession. Ever since my husband adopted our little mutt from the pound, the squeaky toys and tennis balls were fair game, but the flannel blanket he’d been wrapped in by Animal Rescue was sacred—no one was allowed to touch it.

“That night, with my husband away from home on a business trip, I couldn’t shake the unease of sleeping alone. Every sound had me on edge as I laid in bed, tossing and turning.

“Then out of nowhere, Max jumped up next to me, dragging something with him in his clamped jaws. To my amazement, it was his beloved blanket. He laid it near me, then curled up at the foot of the bed. Touched beyond measure, I instantly relaxed and smiled. There was no reason to fear being alone—love was right there with me.”

—Lara Rudoff, 49, Omaha