She grew up in the Great Depression along with her three brothers and her parents. On a carpenter’s salary, there was no money for anything but the most basic of human needs, and although there was always a roof over her head and she never went hungry, she also never had any little pets. It was not until she met my two toy poodles did she understand the devotion, the love and the joy of what many of us take for granted in living daily with our pets. Every day during the academic year, she comes to my home and lets the poodle brothers out of their kennels to go outdoors and then sits on the couch and talks to them. They have become an important part of her life and she of theirs. It came to my attention she had never experienced the joy of holding a soft puppy in her hands. So, a phone call to a local breeder resulted in a visit and this photo. At age 85 years, for the very first time, she held this dear little dog in her hands, held her to her chest, and listened to her coo her approval of the human contact.