A dogged determination

Six years ago, I met someone very interesting. We've become good friends, and I've learned a lot about life from him. He's faced challenges since the day he was born. He was born with a strange condition—an abnormally large tongue that wouldn't fit in his mouth. In fact, he's often stopped by complete strangers who want pictures of him.

When he was young, he was abandoned by his family. He was left to fend for himself in a forest in Yosemite for hours—maybe even days. Fortunately, someone discovered him and took him in. He was then tossed into foster care, where he lived with several others in need of homes. After several months, he was finally adopted.

Even though he had finally found a home, he still had numerous difficulties to overcome. For one thing, he was anxious about living with a new family—after all, he didn't want to end up getting abandoned again.

A few years later, bad fortune struck his life again. He began having vision problems, often stumbling down the stairs and bumping into things. His foster dad took him to see the doctor, who delivered the bad news: he was going blind.

But going blind didn't make him have a negative view on life. In fact, he was more determined than ever. He re-learned his way around his house and neighborhood and was back on his feet in no time. Despite difficulties, he refused to give up his daily routines, like his afternoon walk in the park. He's never, ever given up. And he's always happy—in fact, I don't know anyone happier than him.

As I put his leash on and pet his soft fur, I know that I'm lucky to have a dog as incredible as him.