At the shelter in Sacramento, he was known as Mac – a 12-year-old chow mix who was on the downslope of his life.

Except he wasn’t.

Shamrock friend and foster Goli Mohammadi asked if we would save him if she gave him a forever foster home. We said of course, because we’re always eager to get a dog out of a shelter and into a loving family, and Goli does such a wonderful job saving and caring for older chows who otherwise wouldn’t have made it out of the shelter.

The first thing Goli did was change Mac’s name to Magic Bear (her chows always have “Bear” for a last name). And, like magic, Magic became something other than what the shelter stated.

By the way he ran around, played, and romped on long woodland walks, Magic let Goli know he was no senior. At the vet, his age was put at 4 years. That’s more like it, Goli told me.

Unfortunately, Magic didn’t like one of Goli’s senior chows, and he made it obvious that there would be little peace with both there. So, we began the search for a forever home. One day I got an email from a man named Eric asking about Magic. I connected him and Goli. Eric had lost his chow-Newfoundland mix in December and was desperate for a new friend.

So Magic was off to Sparks, Nevada, to see how he and Eric would fare. Things were a little up-and-down at first, but ultimately Magic made himself very much at home. We’re so happy to see that this wonderful guy is now loving his new life. And we’re especially glad he gets to live near the mountains, because he loves the snow. And since he’s only 4, he and Eric should have many happy years together.

Happy life, Magic Bear.