As I was scooping dog droppings from my yard today I was thinking of how my mother would say matter-of-factly, “if I had to do that I wouldn’t have a dog.”. Of course, my parents do not have pets. She is missing out on the vast amount of joy my pets bring to our lives (my husband’s and mine). The unconditional love that they give us and the reminders to enjoy life is reason enough to have them. Just like each person is a unique individual, influenced by their life experiences