we hear a bark at night we know something is amisseight months ago while returning from work at the hospital my car was at a stop signal when i spotted a dalmatian puppy in a pet store my younger sister was at home on her summer break and i told her and my mom about the puppy and how her face reminded me of bingie in an hours time the puppy was with us at home and we named her juniper a unanimous name based on an episode titled san junipero from the british science fiction series black mirrorhaving dogs as pets in the family is an experience unlike any other because the interaction teaches humility social skills empathy and patience from a growing age in children from a scientific point of view described in the influential journal nature it seems that an acceptable and controlled dirty environment powered by mans best friend can lessen a childs likelihood of developing everything from obesity to asthma like many other dogs that came before them that in some way touched our lives juniper and an aging penny does the same with my children and will continue to do so in the form of another breed and name to their future generations watch each of our dogs has touched our lives positively and i wish the same for my children