Shylark's love affair with dogs began at a young age. Growing up, she was always surrounded by furry friends, and her parents, both animal lovers themselves, encouraged her to care for and appreciate these loyal companions. As a child, Shylark would spend hours playing with her family's dogs, learning about their behavior, and developing a deep understanding of their needs.
Word trickled through Marrowbridge. People came in ones and twos—hesitantly, like visitors in a church—asking if a neighbor’s missing collie had been seen or if a stray had been taken in by the Shylark. It was easier, they found, to ask than to know. Lenora answered with quiet accuracy and, if she could, with warm socks for a dog whose pads had been sore from winter. shylark dog lover
They found a family clinging to the lean of a porch roof—two children, a woman with hair like soaked wool, and an old terrier whose paws were white with frozen mud. The little boy peered at Lenora with a mixture of gratitude and accusation. “Can you carry him?” he asked of the terrier. Shylark's love affair with dogs began at a young age