In this article, the author relates how a lost dog gave her the idea for writing her book, "How to Steal a Dog." Her tale of serendipity began when she, a dog-lover, walked into a garden center near her home and saw a sign for a lost dog taped beside the cash register. She states that, although her story is about a girl who stole a dog and struggled with her conscience, the backdrop of her story revolved around homelessness. For that, she needed to do research and to educate herself about the reality of homelessness. As she worked her way through her book, the author relates that she ended up with "serendipity": a story that opened her eyes to a growing problem in this country and that helped her better understand those who are forced to take desperate measures for survival.