I probably told this story in here before, because I asked for advice on labradors when I first saw my dog, but here are the sordid facts...
My old job was right next door to the animal shelter. I would often stop in there just to visit with the dogs, it was a place I could de-stress on a bad day.
Anyway, one day I went in and there was this big.. and I mean 120lb... lab sitting in the back corner cell looking like his world had crumbled. I went over to visit with him and he just sat as close as he could possibly get to the wire mesh and looked at me as if I were his only hope.
I went home that night and talked to my wife about getting this dog. It was a bad idea, we had a dog and a cat already. I was pretty insistant. I told her to go down and look at him before we (that "we" was a joke for all you married guys) made up our minds.
So the next morning she called me at work and told me how cute the dog was and that she agreed he seemed nice, but unfortunately he was adopted already.
I was a little sad, but happy he had a home, so at my lunch time I went over to the shelter to wish the old boy well. While I was back at his cage a Shelter employee happened by. I asked about the people who adopted Bradley (he already had that name). The employee said he was not adopted yet.
I was pissed! My wife lied to me! I went to the desk and filled out the paperwork immediately to adopt the dog. Now in CA you have to neuter any animal you adopt, and the cost is based on weight, so this was not cheap.... then I called my wife.
Turns out there was a group called Lab Rescue that was going to take Bradley. So he wasn't actually adopted, just wasn't going to be killed. My wife knew this. I didn't.
We are still married, and Bradly is still my best buddy.