Many fans of Lori Fusaro’s photography know the story of Sunny, the 16-year-old dog she adopted from a crowded Los Angeles County animal shelter in 2012. Lori and her husband, Darrell Fusaro, thought Sunny might last in their home for a couple of weeks max — but Sunny had other plans.

Once she got sprung from that shelter and had a chance to decompress and relax in her new home, Sunny blossomed. She lived with Lori and Darrell for two and a half years, and her transformation prompted Lori to launch a photography project to change people’s perceptions of senior shelter animals. I wrote a story about Lori’s photography project for TODAY.com in 2013, and that ultimately led us to team up to create the book “My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts,” which is dedicated to Sunny and is due out in early October. (Although we’re hearing from folks who ordered “My Old Dog” online that it’s already starting to arrive in the mail this week! EXCITING!!)

It just so happens that Sunny’s legacy is living on in another very important — and very happy — way. Darrell Fusaro — an artist, online radio host, and author of “What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?” — describes that legacy here:

Sunny loved to use her pal Gabby as a pillow. (Photo by Darrell Fusaro)

Our 13-year-old pit bull Gabby was depressed after her giant girlfriend Sunny died.  Sunny was an American bulldog pit bull mix that we adopted at the age of 16 and who lived another playful and happy two and a half years with us and her new best friend, Gabby.

It was surprising to us how much Sunny’s death affected Gabby. She was very unsettled and made it obvious by her daily howling. That was something new, and I hoped it was just part of a temporary grieving process. When Lori mentioned that this was because Gabby felt sad and lonely, I began to dread the idea that we would need to adopt another dog.  To be honest, I was looking forward to the easy days ahead of caring for just one dog.

Now I’m not sure if what happened next was an act of God or my wife Lori. Lori told me the story of a little 8-year-old guy nobody would adopt where she works as a photographer at Best Friends Animal Society’s shelter in Los Angeles. She showed me a picture she’d taken. He was brindle with a graying muzzle and two satellite dishes for ears. The dog was about the size of an overly inflated football that had legs, a tail and a head attached to it.

Mr. French initially gave the impression of being a loner — but, not so fast. (Photo by Darrell Fusaro)

Lori went on to tell me the tragic tale of how he’d been passed over for a year and a half and seemed to have given up on even trying to be adopted. When potential adopters would come by, he wouldn’t bother to come out of his kennel and into the open where he could be seen — so, by all appearances, it was assumed he was anti-social. If he did catch anyone’s attention, there was another obstacle that stood in his way of getting adopted: his fatty lumps. His butt has a big fatty tumor that makes his rear look square like a box. There’s another one on his chest that makes him appear to have a goiter.

Somehow I got hypnotized by all of this and I agreed to let him spend the weekend with us to give him a break from the shelter. When Lori brought him home, she told me something she had noticed while giving him a bath: “He has lumps all over his body.” Once inside our house and out of his crate, he was fine with Gabby and our cats, Enzo and Francis, but very shy with us.

Gabby, left, met her mini-me when Mr. French walked through the door. (Photo by Darrell Fusaro)

Because of his size, the desire to pick him up is hard to resist — but he made it very clear he did not enjoy it. He’d tuck in his tail and nervously try to make a getaway and hide behind Gabby wherever she was. If Gabby was standing, he’d hide underneath her. He fits perfectly under her belly between her legs, with the top of his head looking out from under her chin. What made this all even more adorable was that he looks identical to Gabby, only smaller — much smaller. That weekend he enjoyed lying with Gabby on her bed during the day and he retired to his little crate at night.

Needless to say, Mr. French’s weekend break from the kennel has lasted for nearly a year now. His name was originally Neal at the shelter, but Mr. French seemed to suit him once he moved in with us permanently. (Remember the TV show “Family Affair”?) The neighborhood kids and adults seem to think it’s the perfect name since it brings them all so much joy once they’re introduced.

Gabby and Mr. French snuggle on the same dog bed. (Look at those ears!!) (Photo by Darrell Fusaro)

I can’t stand how much I love Mr. French — even though it’s obvious that Gabby is his favorite.  He is reluctant to do anything without her.  They spoon together on their dog bed, and he often rests his head upon her body like a pillow. If Gabby’s been in the backyard by herself, as soon as he hears her coming back inside he rushes over to kiss her on the snout.

His favorite bed is on top of the back couch cushions. Climbing up there, he resembles Piglet from Winnie the Pooh, with the agility and sure-footedness of a billy goat. We discovered he doesn’t like human faces to get too close to his.  He’ll turn his face away or hide his face under a pillow if your face gets what he considers to be too close.

He’s very quiet and well behaved, but we soon discovered he has to pee more often than Gabby does. But his accidental or maybe even purposeful occasional indoor urinating cannot prevent me from finding him irresistible. I’ve even come to love his lumps, especially the one on his rump.  It’s the perfect palm sized padding that’s perfect to pat and squeeze.

(Cartoon by Darrell Fusaro)

Mr. French, like Gabby, is a non-stop tail-wagger.  When standing side by side, they’ll wag in unison. He also loves to try to burrow his little head under you whenever you pet him.

But wait! There’s one more thing I must reveal about Mr. French — something he kept carefully hidden the entire time he was at the shelter: He can fly.

Within a few weeks with us, he began to surprise us with how effortlessly and joyfully he’d spring off the floor and up onto the couch or bed. He made it look so easy, almost as if he was a cat. That was cute, but what really amazed us was how he gets down. He’ll launch off the couch or the bed with such force that he remains airborne until he lands on the floor a full five to seven feet away.  When I first saw him do this and heard the now-familiar click-ity click ker-plunk of his claws and paws hit the floor, I was concerned he’d get hurt.  Considering his age, it seemed both miraculous and fascinating — and it still is. Lori and I and our friends enjoy sharing the belief that he’s runaway circus dog.

Mr. French leans on Gabby for support. (Photo by Darrell Fusaro)

Today Mr. French continues to add fun and inspiration to my life. He’s become a regular character appearing in my cartoons, and Gabby got him a job. During the weekly podcast “Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed,” which I co-host Edward Biagiotti, Gabby has been known to fans over the years as “Gabby the postal pit bull” delivering our mail during each episode to be read on the air. Now Mr. French has joined the cast as our station manager, and our fans adore him.

Maybe I’ve painted a too-good-to-be-true description of Mr. French, so I better add the fact that he snores with the magnitude of a 200-pound man. And I love that about him, too.

Love your old dog? Tell us why! Send your thoughts, observations and dog photos to stories@myolddogbook.com with “I love my old dog because” in the subject line. Your dog may be featured in a future post!

Love stories and photos of sweet senior pooches? The book “My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts” by Laura T. Coffey and Lori Fusaro is due out on Oct. 6. It features Sunny’s complete rescue story, and it’s available for pre-order now at Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com.