After Pheasants Forever member Larry Lesniak’s spaniel passed away at 13-years of age, he was on the lookout for his next dog. The Butler, Pennsylvania, resident decided a rescue dog would be his next choice, and he saved “Monk,” a Chesapeake-lab mix. Initially removed from a kill shelter by a rescue organization, Monk spent a year in a boarding kennel while waiting for a home. “Perhaps it was his size, his energy, or even his asymmetrical ears that put off potential adopters but I like to think he was just waiting for us to come along,” Lesniak says. Together now for 3 years, Monk has transformed from “unwanted mutt” to a beloved companion and gun dog. “He's done very well in the field and in truth he's a much better dog than I am a trainer so I'm sure he has lots more potential for us to explore,” Lesniak says, “We're certainly glad that we took in our rescue and hope that others will consider doing the same. He's everything I could want in a canine companion.”

Editor’s note: photo from a Pennsylvania Game Commission stocked land public hunt where put-and-take hens are legal