My daughter, Jessica, rescued Eva when she was 4 years old. She was part of a group of Schnauzers that had been badly neglected. She had lived in a cage for most of her life. When Jessica started a new job, Eva came to live on the farm with us and our two Schnauzers, Daisy and Mo. It took Eva about a year to learn how to play us and the other dogs, and to run. But most of the time, she was content to lie on the couch in the sunroom where she could watch the outdoor activities and keep an eye on me in the kitchen. She charmed everyone she met with her pretty face and sweet demeanour.

She loved food, and would wait patiently for the other dogs to finish up their meals, so she could lick their bowls after licking her own bowl clean.

Eva was 8 when she died of cancer. We were blessed to know her for 4 years and I am happy to think we gave her almost half a lifetime of dog bliss on the farm. She never spent any of that time in a cage and she never missed a meal, including the morning that she died.