Mina's Mission It broke Mina's heart that so many adorable dogs in the world needed homes. That's why she started to volunteer at the dog shelter on Saturdays. And with her deep love of dogs, she knew she could persuade people to adopt them. On her first morning, a family with two young boys came in. The boys smiled and waved at the dogs behind the glass. "Is that brown dog good with children?" their mother asked. "Um, she's friendly with me," said Mina, "but I'll have to ask about that. She loves to play ball. And look at those big eyes." "What breed is she?" Mina didn't know. "Where's she from?" Mina hesitated. "Let me check," she said. "She's so cute though, isn't she?" All day long Mina was asked questions that she didn't have the answers to. When the shelter closed in the afternoon, not one dog had a new home. Mina sighed. Before she left, she wrote down each dog's breed. The next time she volunteered, she interviewed the shelter employees about each dog's background and temperament. At home, Mina did some more research online. The following Saturday, a man walked into the shelter in the morning. He was looking for a young dog with a lot of energy to take on hikes with him and his grandkids. "I have just the dog for you," Mina said. She introduced him to Mabel, a tw o- yea r- old vizsla. She explained that the vizsla breed is known to love hiking and is good with families. Mina had all the information the man wanted, and her heart soared when he asked for an adoption application.