When sailor ships out, sitter ships her dog to shelter

Next time family is driving you nuts, be glad you don't have a cousin like Christa Valenzuela. When Christa's cousin, Emily Valenzuela, shipped off for her U.S. Navy deployment in November, Christa volunteered to dog-sit her puggle, Bert, in exchange for free rent at Emily's home in San Diego. But when Bert turned out to be a handful, Christa took the pooch to a shelter, where he was euthanized. Emily, predictably, was devastated when she returned home. "It was definitely not the homecoming I was expecting to have," she understated. Offered Christa, "I'm willing to help her find another dog if she wants another dog." Wow. She's so helpful.