Tiny Shiny Things

Updated March 22, 2026

We almost named her Fido because when the photo came through, her gender was mistaken and she looked the size of a small dog. And 15 kilos of flesh and life said she almost could have been one.

Her eyes were bright, her wee nose wet and the way her black tongue curiously traced her upper lip told us she was looking for something. Something she trusted we had. And we did.

Meeting her was breathtaking and quietly confronting. She reminded us of the good parts within us and the parts we are still working on. Because if Venus had been that puppy, there would have been no question about her worth. In that place, there would have been only urgency and certainty.

And celebration.

But Venus arrived in the body of an animal we have labelled “farm” and that simple fact can change everything.

Yet they see and hear farther into our world and our hearts than we can ever imagine.

These days, Venus is beyond the hardest part of her beginning. Her coat is glossy, her steps are light and her confidence is found in small shining bursts. She skips and bounds and holds no grudges.

What a wonderful way to be.

Perhaps there’s a grander question she asks of us. Why is our compassion so species specific?

She is proof that a rough start in life does not have to be the whole story. And she is a shiny, bright reminder that worth should never depend on the body one is born into.

And perhaps there’s a grander question she asks of us. Why is our compassion so species specific?

It is a question only love can answer and it is found in the simple things. A bottle held with a steady hand and a kindly heart, and a life given the chance to become all it was ever meant to be.

So shine on, little Venus. We’re watching, we’re learning and we’re trying to be worthy of the trust you so freely placed in us.