Doggie haven is a thank you for pooch who took a bullet

Colleen Combs is starting an animal shelter revolution. Unlike traditional facilities that are more like prisons for puppies, this dog-lover's nonprofit in Windsor, Calif., doesn't have lines of cages or rows of sad snouts moping behind bars. After a brief assessment period, the pooches with Green Dog Rescue Project roam free in a large pack, of which Combs is the "alpha female." She uses a leash to have what she calls a "conversation" with the canines, which she says will typically submit to her lead in about 30 seconds. Combs' dedication is partly due to a big heart, but it's also due to an old debt: More than 20 years ago, a dog took a bullet for her. Today, she says, she is simply returning the favor.