Children in many parts of the world write letters to Santa Claus to ask him for gifts. It’s something that happens year after year, but rarely does Santa ever get a “thank you” letter to follow up on the request.
Nolan is a little boy that was changing that situation. According to The Dodo, not only did he have the gift that he wanted, but he also wanted to reach out and thank Santa for providing it.
The letter was simple but very touching. It started with: “Dear Santa, thank you for bringing me my new best friend, Brooklyn.”
Brooklyn was made a part of the family after being rescued from a shelter. That shelter focused on “stereotyped bully breeds, medical dogs, and mamas + puppies that are often overlooked and at-risk due to overcrowding.”
Brooklyn was pregnant when she was rescued and she gave birth to eight pups. As a dedicated mother, she took care of all of them to make sure that they were cared for properly. They then found forever homes for each puppy.
Nolan continued with his thank you, saying: “Mama Brooklyn didn’t have anywhere to go…thank you, Santa, for bringing her to our family.”
Nolan was at the shelter with his parents when they met Brooklyn. That dog just kept licking them and enjoying the company, so it wasn’t long before she was being made a permanent part of their household.
Emily Whitehouse, who works at Wags and Walks, wants to encourage families to adopt dogs. She says: “There are so many wonderful benefits to adopting a dog when you have children! Dogs teach children empathy and the responsibility of caring for someone else.”
She went on to speak about the bonding that takes place when dogs are adopted as well.
Nolan has found a wonderful friend in Brooklyn. The two of them get along and spend a lot of time together, and Nolan gets a lot of doggy kisses.
Nolan’s family shared with The Dodo that Brooklyn also got some special toys for Christmas and enjoys playing with them. The one thing that she loves more than anything else, however, is having Nolan in her life and I think neither of them would have it any other way.
Check out the video below:
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
