Dean Bershaw found his dog Paolo or maybe Paolo found him outside where he was working 8 years ago. "I don't know how he got there because it was in an industrial area south of downtown," said Bershaw, "and of course he's never told me his secret." In any case they became fast friends. He's a "Border Collie mix but he's a big dog so he's probably got something else in him," explained Bershaw.

Paolo likes to play with "bouncy balls" of the type you see at Target or other stores. "I buy those in the summer time and he loves to bite them so if he gets 30 seconds or five minutes out of it, it's worth a couple of bucks." Paolo is fascinated by squirrels and rabbits which he sees at Discovery Park but Bershaw guesses that Lincoln Park is Paolo's favorite. "The big trees and the squirrels and the views," are the draw for him said Bershaw.

Cheese and chicken are his food specialties of choice but he gets, "Breath-eze jerky for fresh breath." Paolo isn't really a serious guard dog but he will "Raise his voice if he hears someone out front as if to say 'Hey I'm in here'," Bershaw offered.

As for the name, "It just sounded right and felt right, we kinda went through a lot of names and it just seemed to kind of fit."

Paolo has a lot of friends. So many in fact that every once in a while, "Someone will recognize him, they won't know who I am but they recognize him, 'Oh you must be Paolo!"

How to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week:

Want to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week? Stop by the VCA West Seattle Veterinary Hospital at 5261 California Ave. S.W. and just ask for a form. A nomination is not a guarantee of appearance and your name and photo may appear in our newspaper and online.

Photos may or may not be used and our "Pet Reporter" may be in touch with you to arrange to take a photo. Pets nominated will be chosen on the basis of uniqueness of the pet and the quality of the story and information submitted.