Many times, especially when we do things together, our pets might seem like members of the family. Therefore, it makes sense that our dogs and cats would participate in the celebrations of life’s milestones.
It’s precisely how Olivia Dufresne felt when Yogi, the family dog, turned 12 years old; in Quebec, that is the typical age at which one completes primary school.
Pamela and Olivia Dufresne, Yogi’s older sisters, and Yogi, a Maltese-Yorkshire terrier-Shih Tzu mix, get along incredibly well. “We adore him and, even if he is not a human, we consider him a full member of our family,” Pamela Dufresne spoke with The Dodo. “He is our little prince, our little treasure.”
Yogi has integrated himself so deeply into their lives that he almost seems human. “He’s very intelligent, and he understands a lot of words that many dogs wouldn’t,” Dufresne remarked. “Talking to him is like talking to a human.”
The sisters enjoy playing hide-and-seek with Yogi in the afternoons, but even when they’re not having fun, he’s a particularly compassionate younger sibling who is always there for them when they need some emotional support.
“When we cry, he tries to make us laugh by licking our tears,” “When we have an argument, he puts himself between us,” Dufresne added.
Yogi can only do so much because he is a dog, but that doesn’t stop the sisters from wondering what else they could make him capable of, if only he had a bit less fur.
“Since we were young, my sister and I love to imagine different scenarios in which our dog acts like a human: going to school, playing soccer, crossing the border illegally, playing video games, getting arrested,” Dufresne stated. “In our imagination, he did all those things!”
When Yogi’s sisters started talking about Yogi graduating this year, Olivia made the decision to finally turn their epic (and sometimes so epic) imaginative adventures into reality.
“As a surprise, my sister Olivia decided to secretly make a graduation picture.” “Then, while nobody was at home, she replaced an old baby picture that was hanging between me and my sister’s graduation pictures with our dog’s graduation picture,” Dufresne added.
The entire process required several hours of meticulous Photoshop work, but it was totally worth it. Olivia almost pulled off the ruse too well because it took her family a while to find the switch on the mantel.
“When we did, we laughed for a good 10 minutes, then we cried a little out of proudness,” Dufresne said. “To this day, Yogi’s graduation picture is the main attraction of the living room.”
Thankfully, everyone in the family agrees that Yogi’s portrait should be displayed prominently. Dufresne continued, “It will probably remain there till our demise.” He is highly adored and loved by us!”
Yogi’s proud sisters are already planning how to celebrate their brother’s upcoming birthday, which will signal the beginning of his teenage years.
