Monica is our furry miniature schnauzer whom we adopted three months into our marriage. At six years old Monica was retired from puppy-breeding and is looking forward to the second half of her life where she can finally be the centre of attention. She shares a telepathic connection with Howie, who speaks for her in a high-pitched, Smerf-like voice. Coincidentally, she has very similar likes and interests as Howie, likes pizza, and often speaks up for him during our little disagreements. In January 2012 Monica experienced serious health complications due to a small liver we were unaware of. After a near-death experience she recovered and her liver is managed through milk thistle supplements. Monica likes to cuddle, stand on her two back legs, chase her stuffed rat toy, and hide her chewed up, moist, rawhide bone in clean laundry. We are convinced she is the cutest, sweetest, and most well-behaved dog in the entire world. We are not biased in the least.