“Lina has had Luigi since he was a puppy. He has been her constant companion for 13 years since he came into her life through a newspaper advertisement and proceeded to destroy all the shoes and socks he could get his puppy paws on. Since then, he has redeemed himself by becoming Lina’s constant companion who has been by her side through some very tough times. Lina and Luigi are a familiar sight in Fremantle going for walks or to one of the local parks where Luigi gets to meet and play with other doggy mates. Lina has recently lost her partner and that coupled with the fact that her son has left home recently to take up an internship in Melbourne means that Luigi and her cat Sofia are her best friends. Luigi’s presence in Lina’s life makes her feel safe and less alone and she refers to Luigi as her psychologist. Luigi and Sofia are the best of mates, Lina confides, with Luigi even allowing Sofia to eat his food. In recent times, Lina has been struggling to make ends meets due to the cost of her terminally ill partner’s medical care, the funeral expenses when he passed away, difficulties she has had with accessing Public Trustee funds and the fact that she is now alone and does not drive and is reliant on Ubers to get around. Lina is very grateful to Perth Street Vets for providing monthly health checks and recently an ultrasound for Luigi (who has an enlarged prostate). Lina explains that but for this she would have been unable to afford the cost of veterinary care and would have been unable to look after her best friend, Luigi. As Lina says, her pets, Luigi and Sofia are her world. To illustrate what they bring to her life and how little they demand in return, Lina says, “Give them food, give them water, take them for a walk, give them some toys and they’re happy. In return they give me unconditional love.”