My name is Joey but most of the time they call me Josef or just JoJo. Well, like Nicky who certainly was one of my best friends I am not a street dog but was taken in before such fate could strike my precious life. And a precious life it is. I am certainly very small but I can make a lot of noise. This would of course not be of any use when living on the street because out there I would probably not make it for even a single week. I can tell because after living for many years among large dogs I know that life is not always what we wish it to be. But I am quite protected here and besides one or the other fight with my fellow dog friends I live a good life for many years now.

Nicky was like a real mother to me and I remember the evenings when I was sleeping close to her warm belly. She was a great friend. But soon after my arrival other dogs came here and they told me stories that sent the shivers down my spine. I have to admit that a little dog like me can hardly imagine what it means to be sick, hungry, thirsty and be kicked around, hit, beaten, or poisoned just to mention some of the terrible things I heard. So it was not surprising that most of the new arrivals were rather cautious and did not just associate with us. They usually search for a quiet corner and hide the whole day. They even refuse to eat and drink and must be fed by hand. But they finally made it all back to a real dog life and that was when the fun started.

Yes, we dogs have a life too and we have a soul and quite some personality. But we like to do things differently and we are happy because we strongly believe that

Everyone has the potential to be a good person (or dog)
You are never too old to make new friends
It doesn't matter what you did in the past it matters only what you do now
Regrets don't do any good just live for today
That one should try to be happy every day
You are never too old to play
Food is a very good thing
Treats are a really, really good thing
Massages are the best relaxation
Money doesn't buy you love
One good toy is better than 10 bad toys
You don't need money to be happy

I think we can all learn something from this list. We, animals and humans, would be much happier if we really lived by some of these " dog secrets". Maybe we should start to learn more from each other and to accept the fact that we all belong to each other.