Many dogs are surrendered to shelters each year. For a host of reasons, owners are unable or unwilling to continue caring for their pets. Dog shelters are charged with the task of either placing the dog in a new home or providing care for the remaining years of life. The sobering truth is this: each year, the number of dogs surrendered to shelters far exceeds those that are adopted into new homes. Shelters are then faced with a difficult decision: do they commit to caring for dogs knowing that shelters cannot provide dogs with an adequate and healthy life experience or do they consider an alternative? This is the story of a dog shelter in New York State that considers euthanasia the more humane choice. This is a story of the dogs whose lives hang in the balance. This is a story about the reach of compassion within people who find themselves confronting a difficult and sobering dilemma.  LD