Emily and Dudley examine some of the wall art at one of the canyon’s many overhangs.

Dudley could relate all-too-well to the many strays in Canyon de Chelly.

A lot of stray dogs live in the Canyon de Chelly area, and all of them tugged at our heartstrings just as strongly as Dudley once did on the streets of Venice, Calif. In fact, there were one or two strays that looked like they could be Dudley's siblings. Efforts are under way to spay and neuter these strays to keep the problem from turning into an epidemic. But even with spaying and neutering "feral" animals, the best chance at a healthy life for any stray is a good home.

We didn't set out to adopt a stray when we took Dudley into our lives. In fact, we considered ourselves to be "cat" people and didn't want the responsibility of owning a dog, especially in an urban apartment. Our plan to take care of Dudley only until we could find him a permanent home changed as he wormed his way into our hearts, and we quickly became one-dog people. What we didn't realize was that not only were we saving Dudley's life, but that strays and mixed-breed dogs are often extremely loyal, eager to please, and very bright with fewer health problems than many pure-bred dogs.

People have asked us if we ever thought of breeding Dudley, but we decided early on that there were plenty of dogs already living who needed homes without us bringing more "little Dudleys" into the world. But, if you're interested in finding a little guy like ours, pay a visit to your local Humane Society or Department of Animal Regulation. You'll be sure to find yourself a new best friend.