There are four couches on our first floor. From the landing on the second floor, I can see that theĭownstairs light is on. I walk out of the bedroom, leaving the door halfway open behind me. Of clean socks and sweatpants and lean against the dryer to pull them on. After a bit of a search, I pull out a pair The T-shirt I slept in and put on a clean one from among the piles of clothing stacked up everywhere-on the built-in bench,Ītop the radiator cover, along both windowsills, and in front of the radiator. There, I turn on the light, brush my teeth, and throw cold water on my face. Over barely visible mounds of towels, sweats, T-shirts, socks, and athletic wear, I pass through the laundry room into theīathroom. Push aside the comforter on my side I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and drop to the floor. I nudge Jennifer, who without turning over asks for another fifteen minutes of sleep. I wriggle my toes and fingers, which I once read helps to keep you awake I run my hands over my face and rub It feels as if I'm underwater, struggling The alarm seems to go off again in about fifteen seconds. But it also means that, right now, I have the luxury of hitting the snooze So with both my morning and afternoonĬommitted tomorrow, I have lots to get done today. Team does not start until tomorrow, to coincide with the opening game of the season. The breakfast table to raise money for the lacrosse As seniors in high school and already admitted to college, theyĪre coasting to the finish line. Have to finish any homework or cram last minute for a test. The boys don't have to be at school early for a team meeting or to see any of their teachers.

Lying there, I take a quick mental inventory of what lies before When the alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m., it is still dark outside. Heartwarming and redemptive, Oogy is the story of the people who were determined to rescue this dog against all odds, and of the family who took him home, named him “Oogy” (an affectionate derivative of ugly), and made him one of their own. The Levins, whose sons are themselves adopted, were unable to resist Oogy’s charms, and decided to take him home. He had been thrown in a cage and left to die until the police rescued him and the staff at Ardmore Animal Hospital saved his life. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen–one who was missing an ear and had half his face covered in scar tissue–ran up to them and captured their hearts. In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the Ardmore Animal Hospital outside Philadelphia to have the beloved pet put to sleep. In the bestselling tradition of Rescuing Sprite comes the story of a puppy brought back from the brink of death, and the family he adopted.

Oogy by Larry Levin