By Shelley Grant

Ah, it's 7am and I awake to the beautiful singing of my Canary named Marmalade." As I snuggled under the covers to catch a few more minutes of rest my 8 1/2 year old Shepherd "Candy" nuzzles me awake. She's so smart she saw me open my eyes. As she rests her head and paw on the edge of my bed she looks at me with her big brown eyes and says good morning. And, I think what a beautiful way to start the day. So I get up and get dressed, put on my running shoes and take two poop bags. Candy and I set out for her morning walk. It's one of our special times. I can't imagine life without my pets. They are all a part of my life. With them I am never alone or lonely.

If you are a dog owner you know the responsibility you have. You need to walk the dog, clean up the mess, feed them and take them to the vet. But, let's talk about what they give you in return. They give you love, stability, companionship and security. They are always there for you no matter if you are happy or sad. Dogs don't discriminate between race, sex or age. They are there for you to love and respect.

This makes me think of an elderly person who I respect dearly. This person lives alone. His spouse has passed on, and his family rarely visits. He never used to have pet. So, he spent much of his time alone at home and on nice days he would go to the coffee shop. On occasion he would visit me at my store to visit with my pets. I really enjoyed his visits. He is a very interesting man with a very good heart. But, he needed a friend, he needed someone to take care of.

Now he is the proud owner of a beautiful Canary and a fish aquarium. He now comes in to visit me full of questions and enthusiasm for his pets. We laugh together about how comical Canaries are and how beautiful they sing. Then we complain about that yes they do make a mess with their seeds. But this wonderful