Billa, the Dog of Brambilla – here is the best rhyme we ever made, and the one that made us decide to name our family dog Billa.

What to say about her.

Billa came after Spino, another great Lagotto with dysplasia, who was running like he didn’t know the muscles at the back of his legs were not there.

Billa was important to me mainly because my Nonna Natalia had a special connection with her. At the end of her days, Billa spent more time with my Nonna. The fact that she decided where to go, and she decided to cherish a connection with an old and wise woman, was special.

My Nonna kept Billa’s ashes on top of the big fireplace in the living room, together with a picture collage, one of the best that my father made with WordArt. What a masterpiece.

Why do I want to introduce Billa to you? Because she touched me with kindness, and she taught me that you can have a sense of understanding the others around you just by observing them. Without communicating through words, she was able to get the right picture of humans.

I try to do the same. I look, I observe, I try to create a safe space, and I listen too.

Grazie Billa, la cagna dei Brambilla!

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Why this matters

Connection with other species gives us a lot. Different ways of communicating can only be beneficial to the way we interact. There’s no hierarchy between species; every single one has an important value in this world. We still have to consider which one is ours!