Dear All ,

Every morning when I am ready to go to school Margarita, my 14 year old boxer, my companion and friend for as long as I can remember gets up and runs off to get into the car. She gets very upset if she is not taken to school. Now this becomes a dilemma for me in the morning. Is it a good thing to take Margarita to school? Is it not wasting petrol sending her back in the middle of the day? These and other such questions raise their head making my start to the day a thoughtful one

When I do take her, the reasons I do are more to do with the impact Margarita has on the many children who meet her in school. Some children are afraid and look at her from a distance while others are happy to have a dog to pet and hug. Over time most have understood that Margarita is harmless and is quite happy to ignore you as you work out your fears on her. Children learn that it is good to have an animal as a friend and that a dog can listen and empathize with you even where humans cannot.

While Margarita is not a therapy dog she does give some happiness to those who need it in the morning.

Cheers to all animal lovers!

Annie Koshi