Growing up I always had animals around the house and I can proudly say that so far I have made best friends with all five of the dogs my family raised.

One of them we found outside the house on Christmas night many years ago. I loved him right away. How could I not? He was this small fur ball all scared and trembling. He's all grown up now and old enough to act like a grandpa for the kittens in my garden (and weirdly enough, that works).

I was always the one child that would go and play with any dog I saw on the street, even though most of my friends were terrified by them. Not at all scared to take an apple away from a German Shepard when I was 3.