After Karen Maresco’s dog of 14 years, Finley, died this past December, she visited North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington on Christmas Eve in hopes of finding another pet to keep her company.

That’s when she met Duncan, a 1-year-old Lab-mix from Arkansas.

“Finley [also adopted from North Shore] wouldn’t want another little puppy to spend Christmas in a shelter,” said Maresco, 47, of Huntington Station.

As the two played catch, they quickly built a rapport. Duncan seemed relaxed when she picked him up. Like many shelter dogs born out of state, not much was known about his past. But he has since transitioned smoothly into his new life with Maresco.

“We had more family over, a larger gathering ... and he was great with everyone,” Maresco said. “When we first got him ... h

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