"My friendship with Mitzi was like the friendship that many children have with their pets. My mother and father thought it was 'good for me' to have a dog for a companion. Well it was good for me, but it was only many years after she died that I began to understand how good it was, and why."- Fred Rogers

When I think back on the pets of my childhood, I find myself in perfect agreement with Mr. Rogers. But sometimes, the importance of a child's relationship with an animal and all the good that comes of it are more immediately apparent.

Daisy with JinMae, Zoe and Cleo

Daisy, a Boston Terrier, has been a part of her new family for only a few weeks, but in the short time since she was adopted from the Seattle Humane Society, she's had a huge impact.

"[Daisy] has helped take the attention off how much we miss Papa back home," says Donna DeBoer-Williams of her new four-legged family member. "She is the center of attention for the neighborhood children, so she has opened up doors for the girls to meet even more kids." Donna says that her daughter Cleo in particular has developed a strong bond with the seventeen-pound black and white dog.

It's easy to understand why.

It's a long way - nearly a thousand miles - from Gustavus, Alaska, just outside Glacier Bay National Park, to Seattle. Imagine how much farther that distance would feel if you were four years old, and your Dad and all the comfortable routines of your life were that far out of your reach.

That sense of distance is a constant for Cleo Williams (4) and her sisters, JinMae (5) and Zoe (6). They are all living here in Seattle so that JinMae can get the surgery and treatment she needs for a cleft palate and some other medical problems. Before the women of the family temporarily relocated to Seattle in May, Donna says that they made at least eight trips here for JinMae's medical needs. "The travel costs were a killer," she says, "so it made sense to relocate since [JinMae's] appointments and operations are now happening very frequently."

Donna and her husband Michael adopted all three of the girls from China; Zoe in 2003, Cleo in 2005, and JinMae in 2007. The family's last dog passed away five years ago. While the original plan had been to wait until JinMae's current round of treatments had finished before looking for a new dog, Donna and the girls have spent a lot of time talking about dogs recently. In fact, their visit to the Seattle Humane Society last month was intended to help the girls get more comfortable around all kinds of dogs. "We went to the shelter, and Cleo saw Daisy, and just had to have her," says Donna. "I was so surprised that Cleo wanted her so badly, we went for it."

All three sisters love taking Daisy to the many parks they are discovering in the Seattle area, and taking her on long leash walks. Cleo loves to cuddle with Daisy and feed her. If Daisy gets in trouble, Cleo apologizes for her and agonizes over whether Daisy's behavior requires a "time out."

Donna says that her daughters and she have strongly mixed feelings about their time here in Seattle. She says that JinMae never complains about her medical treatments – in spite of undergoing two surgeries and countless appointments - and that the medical staff, and many of people they have met here have been wonderful. "The girls all went to their first movie ever last week," says Donna, "and we've gone to beauty school for makeovers. We've gotten together with other adoptive families, and we've gone shopping! In Alaska, we live in a community with 350 people with no roads out of town, so shopping is really exciting for us."

But still, most of all, the Williams girls are looking forward to three weeks in August at home in Gustavus with their Dad. They'll fly from Seattle to Juneau, and then take a bush plane for the last leg of the journey. "Daisy is definitely coming along," says Donna. "I can't wait for Michael to see Cleo with Daisy" While she knows the cost of traveling with a dog will add to an already stretched budget, Donna says "I can't very well leave her behind. I couldn't possibly let Cleo miss another loved one right now."

I can't thank Donna enough for sharing her daughters' story with us - and I know you'll all join me in wishing only the best for the whole family.

Lynn
lynnseattlehumane@gmail.com