Owning a dog, after all, impedes the ability to get up and go on impulse and, to a couple that enjoys traveling, having to find someone to care for their dog was an inconvenience.

"It was nice to be able to travel" and not have to worry about the dog, said Lenny, a retired public school educator.

But, after Dee died, there was no one to greet them at the door when they came home, no one to protect them from strangers. Their home had suddenly become a lonely place.

When the couple's daughter one day left a stuffed toy dog on their bed, the two realized that they had to bring a new canine friend into their lives.

Instead of going to the local animal shelter or to a pet shop, Leslie, who works as an education consultant, went on the Internet.

She and her husband decided that this time they would seek a smaller dog that does not drool or shed hair, as setters are apt to do. They wanted a dog that wasn't needy and that wouldn't cry when they left the house.

After doing some research, they decided that a cockapoo would be an appropriate choice. The breed is a cross between a cocker spaniel and poodle, has short hair and doesn't drool.

"I looked at thousands," Leslie said of her search on a Petfinders website. But, when she spotted Jack, a two-year-old cockapoo with sad eyes, it was love at first sight.

"How can you say no to a dog that looks like that?" she asked of the buff-colored, curly-haired ball of fur depicted on her laptop screen.

The Alexanders submitted an application, provided references and, after going through a process they likened to obtaining a mortgage, were okayed to adopt.

The problem they faced then was how to get Jack from Olean, N.Y., a ten-hour round trip drive, to Oxford.

The woman who was fostering Jack at her rescue facility, Joye Turock, proposed a unique means of transport.

She told the Alexanders about Pilots 'N Paws, an organization of animal-loving pilots who, free of charge, fly homeless animals, primarily dogs, to their new destinations.

The organization, which was looking to transport 5,000 dogs between September 12 and September 20, was recently featured on Good Morning America.

Mrs. Turock located a pilot, Joe Marsala of Westerly, R.I., willing to take Jack and a second dog, a terrier named Gwen destined for Old Chatham, Mass., from New York to airports in Oxford and New Hampshire. A date was set - Sunday, September 20.

According to Lenny, the experience of meeting Jack at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport reminded him of a poignant moment more than 20 years ago when he and his wife met the daughter they adopted from South Korea.

"It's amazing how similar the processes were," he said.

Jack arrived in late morning, frightened and wary of his new owners and their three grandchildren who had come to greet him.

He growled and nipped Leslie's hand when she tried to pet him.

A day later, comfortably settled in his new home, with two doting owners and three cats for playmates, Jack was the picture of contentment.

Comfortably nestled on a couch, his head on a pillow, he snoozed complacently during Voices' visit, but perked up instantly at the mention of his name or any movement by his owners.

He'd had a good night's sleep - in the Alexanders' bed, of course - has an assortment of doggie toys and plenty to eat.

"He seems to know that this is his forever home," said Lenny.

The couple has nothing but praise for the organization that brought Jack home.

"The humanity and goodness of heart and willingness of these giving individuals who devote ether energy, money and time to bring these animals to their forever families is remarkable," said Lenny.

If Jack could talk, he'd undoubtedly agree.