“He came into my life when he was 2,” Roman told. “The first time I saw him, he took a poop on my living room carpet as soon as my ex put him down (it was her dog). We didn’t get along the first few months. I love dogs but this one was a brat. He wanted attention all the time. He wanted to be around you. I had a hard time getting along with a dog this smart and with so much personality and sensitivity. I used to fight with him a lot. Until my ex told me to treat him like a little person. He’s very smart. Since that day, I made an effort. And so did he. We became closest friends and when my ex and I broke up, she got to keep the apartment just so I could keep Toby. This was when he was 10.”