Behind every happy, well cared for pet there is a loving owner ? or so the saying goes. There are, however, many animals which are not so fortunate. Some are abandoned and become feral, while others are mistreated. The lucky ones are lifted from their misery, either through adoption via the SPCA, or cared for in the wild through the Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau. Today, Lifestyle?s Nancy Acton talks with two people who have, individually, changed the lives of an adopted dog, and a colony of feral cats, and who love their animals

George Somers (?George? to his fans) wound up in the care of the SPCA. Like his fellow canines at the Paget facility, the pit bull-Alsatian cross was fed, watered and walked, and he even received a little TLC, but he had no family to call his own. Most of his day was spent looking at the world from his cage. Visitors came and went, but despite his best efforts to be appealing, he was overlooked.

Meanwhile, down on the fringes of Harrington Sound, Italian restauranteur Cesare Maranzana was mourning the loss of his pedigree Rhodesian ridgeback. He had always owned a pedigree dog, usually imported.

This time, however, Mr. Maranzana got to thinking about the SPCA and wondered if they had a nice dog available, so he made the trip west and, like others before him, looked at the wagging tails and pleading eyes behind the cage doors, and weighed them up. Some were quite old, and he wondered how anyone could get rid of a pet at that age. But George, then approximately eight months old, was different.

?I had a hat on, and he was barking his head off and moving backwards at the same time,? Mr. Maranzana says. ?He was full of life but he didn?t like the hat, so the girls at the SPCA gave me a biscuit to give him, and he sat down and ate it.

?I thought he was a real character ? spunky and full of life, and I could see he was a very intelligent dog, so I said I would like him.?

At the SPCA, however, it is not a question of, ?Okay, you like the dog? Take it and go?.

The organisation has a very thorough preliminary screening system to ensure that both prospective owner and animal bond well and are suited to each other, and they also want to know what sort of home it will be going to.

?They didn?t want George to be mistreated, so they made me go back about four times to really see how much I actually wanted the dog,? Mr. Maranzana says. ?I kept thinking of him, and my wife Sandra went to see the dog and straight away she liked him too because of his liveliness. He reminded her of Scooby-Doo.?

So on their visits the Maranzanas walked the dog and talked to him, and each time grew to love him more.

Finally, following medical checks by the veterinarian, George was released to his new owners ? a move that could be summed up, with no disrespect to the SPCA, as going from a minimalist hostel to a five-star lifestyle at the water?s edge, with every comfort and amenity available at the wag of his tail, including a selection of squeaky toys. Not bad for a humble mongrel.

?He settled down right away,? Mr. Maranzana says proudly. ?At first, since he had never seen water before, he pounded it with his paw as if it was a hard surface, and it became quite a game.

?Then one day my wife went swimming and he followed her. Now he is a very good swimmer who loves to chase fry when he sees them jumping, and he also loves to watch the manta rays swimming around our dock.?

Mr. Maranzana is an excellent, year-round water skier who owns a boat and a jet ski, so George quickly cottoned on to the excitement of life in the fast lane, and has become an avid companion and helper.

?When I water ski I start off from my dock on two skis, but sometimes I discard one, and George grabs it in his teeth and drags it back to the dock,? his 68-year-old master says. ?I used to ski a lot on one ski, but now I like to save some of my energy for something else.?

Whenever the duo return from the sea, George likes to be shampooed (closing his eyes on command) and towel-dried, and then jumps into the cushioned hammock for a siesta.

Through watching his master, he has even taught himself to grab the nearby rope in his teeth and swing himself.

George enjoys gentle rides on the jet ski, and will ?try anything once and enjoy it?, Mr. Maranzana says. In fact, the dog has such a fondness for water that he drinks from running taps and the decorative garden fountain.

On summer nights George chooses to sleep on a chaise longue at the water?s edge, but in winter he takes up residence in his weatherproof dog house, in which Mr. Maranzana has installed central heating.

Otherwise, the pampered pooch has the run of the family home, and each morning at dawn goes from room to room checking on the occupants. He likes to spend his evenings indoors with his family, preferably on Mr. Maranzana?s lap, who has now taught him to wink on command.

Treats for good behaviour, resting between human lips, are gently retrieved.

When it comes to defending his home and family, however, George takes his duties very seriously indeed. ?He is a fantastic watchdog, and can distinguish between friends and strangers,? Mr. Maranzana says. ?He always lets us know if a stranger is around, and if necessary I can put him in his own special area where he can still see who comes and goes, but can?t get to them.?

So important is George?s well-being to his new owners that they have already made arrangements for him to be cared for professionally in his own home whenever they travel.

So, from dubious beginnings, golden-coated George has blossomed into a beautiful and much-loved pet who has taken to (sweet life in Italian) with gusto, and Mr. Maranzana has nothing but the highest praise for the SPCA.

He is also a convert to the wonders of mongrels as pets.

?I am now a great believer that the mongrel is the most intelligent and healthy animal, and also very strong,? he says. ?We definitely went to the right place. The people at the SPCA are the most dedicated human beings, and they do a wonderful job.

?They were very thorough in considering us. They didn?t want George to go to just anybody, and they also wanted to be sure that he would be properly trained. I feel good about giving him a new life. ?We should respect the SPCA and everything it does. While it doesn?t charge for adopting an animal, it is definitely worth giving them a donation. We should all support them.?