She Loves Dogs ...

... because she was born with one. A beautiful chocolate lab named Piper was Nicole's first dog. They really loved each other. Nicole crawled on Piper's back and pulled her ears and tail. In return, Piper assigned herself as official guard dog of the baby for all naps and evenings.

Piper growled at footsteps approaching Nicole's room. If someone dared step further, after her stern warning, the hair on her back would raise and she'd let out a bark. Meanwhile, the happy baby slept peacefully and was never aware of any intruders.

Even though Piper died when Nicole was only nine months old, their bond was strong enough to instill a love of all dogs in Nicole.

Big. Bebe. Small. Rhino. Calm. Piper. Wild. Daisy. Familiar. Ellie. Strange. Caesar. And countless others.

She truly loves them all. She stops anyone walking with a dog and asks to pet it. She always offers it a squeeze around its neck before leaving. When she gets the chance, she also plays fetch or tug of war with the dogs.

Nicole: lifelong friend of dogs everywhere.