My niece is almost two.  At two-years-old, your favorite toy changes every fourteen seconds.  Focus is not a strong suit.  Maddy is true to that in every way but one; she loves animals.  At ballet class, if a dog is outside the front window, she will forgo dance to focus on figuring out how she can get outside to be with it.  If she’s at a playground and every swing, slide, or ride is open yet there is a pup close by, she’s running in the direction of the dog.

We took her to a petting zoo last weekend and I will never forget the look on her face when she realized she could interact with so many animals. Pure joy.  While other kids took a while to warm up (and some wanted nothing to do with the animals at all), Maddy ran head first and never looked back.  She petted, walked with, climbed under and marveled at each species. At one point she tried to climb over the gate to get to the camel and she had a very hard time understanding why a fence was separating her from the pony.

Will she be a vet when she grows up, I don’t know.  I can say with certainty though that countless animals will find love in her home.