Is she from China...?

At Soulshine, we have always encouraged healthy interaction with animals so that the children grow up learning how to respect our furry friends in both a home environment and in nature. Though many Soulshiners have their own pets of all shapes and sizes, they never tire of playing with our Soulshine dogs: Coda, Halia, and Nouba. Coda and Halia belong to Miss Shannon, and Nouba is my wonderful doggie. Nouba is a unique mix of Border Collie, Chow, and Australian Shepherd, making her incredibly intelligent, obedient, loyal, and absolutely wonderful with children. Most kids are initially fascinated by her black tongue, which leads me to explain her breed combination. As I describe the history of each breed and their traits, they usually stop me mid-description of the Chow breed with: "So, is Nouba from China?!" I always laugh and explain that I rescued Nouba from the Atlanta Humane Society, but that somewhere her family tree probably does lead back to China. And if you need a little proof, just ask 3rd-grader Mia who knows how much Nouba loves toasted seaweed as a snack!

(Written by Ms. Elan)