2020 pet magazine

2020 PET MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS JANUARY 23, 2020 Page 5 I f you ask pet owners the benefits of having pets in the family, some will rattle off a list of good reasons while others will say with a laugh, “What benefits?” Let’s face it, pets can be costly and a lot of work to take care of, but the value they bring to one’s family is truly immeasurable. If you want unconditional love, there is no greater love than that of a family pet. “If you don’t have anybody in your house and you come home, the dogs will always be happy to see you,” said Mary O’Hara of Lincoln, mom of five adorable little Yorkshire Terriers - Yorkies for short. “I can be gone five minutes and when I get back, they greet me like I was gone forever. It’s unconditional love. They never get in a bad mood. They are just so happy all the time.” The five happy little Yorkies O’Hara is talking about are named Bentley, Tiki, Ella, Walter and Zeus. And O’Hara will gladly tell you, “They are my kids.” “Here’s my reason why I love my dogs,” said O’Hara. “My two boys are grown and live on the East Coast. That leaves an empty space in my heart. You adjust, but these little darlings fill the void.” O’Hara is retired and doesn’t deny these five are spoiled. “They are used to me being their whole world.” O’Hara says her husband, Brian, is just as bad about spoiling them. “He always tells me these dogs hit the jackpot with me. But they are his kids, too.” And as far as having five dogs goes, that’s no trouble at all, says O’Hara. “Growing up in a family of nine kids, we just had one dog and that dog was always kept outside.” So as an adult, O’Hara thought it was best to always have two dogs, you know, to keep each other entertained. At one time she had two Pomeranians, until they passed. “Whenever I lost one pet, I always had to get another one. When I got Bentley, who is now 10 years old, I wanted to get another one because I had lost the two Pomeranians. Then when my dad died we got my mom a Yorkie named Peanut. Peanut only had one ear flap and she was just special, a real sweet baby. When my mom passed away, I got Peanut.” Peanut has since passed on and well, one thing led to another and eventually Tiki entered the family. Then Ella. Then Walter. Then a little guy named Zeus, who was the only one in the litter. Zeus rounded out the family of five Yorkies for O’Hara and her husband. Although she’s told her husband if she sees a dog abandoned by the side of the road, she will bring that dog home. O’Hara noted that the Yorkies “just lay around eighty-five percent of the time and eat, sleep and chill.” The benefits of having pets in the family Bentley, Zeus, Walter, Ella and Tiki Continued