… but she sometimes thinks she is entitled to fish food, so she steals the bottle of fish fish in the hopes of getting to the pallets inside. So far for her efforts, all she accomplished was a chewed bottle cap. Fish food is safe!

Mr P and I live with our dog Donna and a Siamese fighting fish.

We had the fish first. My health wasn’t very good so my husband Mr P bought two fishes to give a bit more life to our two-person home. One of the fish has since died, so we are left with one.

We got the dog later. I had fractured my ankle and was suffering from nerve problems in my toes, spent a lot of time at home alone. With all that time, we thought we were finally ready to get a companion animal. But since I couldn’t walk very much, we didn’t adopt the dog until later when I regained some mobility. Donna became very much a exercise companion, pushing me to go take a walk and exercise that foot even though it hurt everyday.

One feels livelier with a dog. Donna has this constant positive energy about her, always ready to go out and explore the world. Always ready to jump up to her feet and follow to see what’s up, even if she was napping. (OK, I lie, sometimes she only raises her head, as if trying to decide if it is worthwhile moving her whole lazy body.)

She finds such joy in simple things that she cavorts, almost obsessive compulsively, always welcoming you home with a toy in her mouth and her tail wagging like a helicopter ready to lift off.  It’s as if she doesn’t move, she will explode.

And yet, when she calms down, she gives very endearing gentle licks on your toes, on your knees, on your hands, any part of you that she can reach.

The dog didn’t ask for us or it’s previous owner to give it a home. We heard Donna was abused. And when she was returned to the shelter, her mother and siblings didn’t welcome her. They couldn’t get along. The shelter had to put the dog that couldn’t get along with an old dog that could suffer her.

But Donna didn’t seem too unhappy with her lot even when she was at the shelter. There were volunteers to play with, and she could always watch the main door in anticipation of the next dog or human that comes in.

And when she came home with us, she adjusted. Sure there’s less excitement here with two quiet adults than at the shelter, but she has a roof over her head and food to eat. She doesn’t get cold and wet when it rains for days during the monsoon season. And she gets three walks a day rather than two walks a week when the shelter volunteers come in on weekends to walk the dogs.

It’s not difficult to enjoy life, the ups and downs and all it brings. The dog does it, we can too.