MEET ZIVA
Sisters Living Th
Greetings everyone,
My name is Ziva and with me is my sister Elsa! Our birth mother is a corgi mini-Aussie and our birth father was a mixed heeler, so that makes us quite a mix too! We’re here to tell you all about our lives and our amazing parents, Connie and Bruce Colburn. Elsa and I are so excited that it’s our turn to talk about our family! Before Mom and Dad adopted us, they had a little Chihuahua mix named Buddy, who they rescued from the streets. Buddy had a hard life as a stray, and Mom and Dad even found out he’d been abused. At the time, Dr. Clark and his whole team took really good care of Buddy and made sure he had the best life he could despite his many health problems. Mom and Dad really loved Buddy, but he had a hard time getting close
Laugh More, Age Less WHY LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR YOU As we age, we’re told to wear sunscreen, eat more vegetables, take vitamins, and even walk more — all in hope that our internal clocks will slow down and we will age better. But something as simple as laughter could actually be one of the easiest ways to slow the ticking clock of aging. Scientists have long known that laughter can be therapeutic and help us live longer. It has been shown to reduce wear and tear on our bodies and improve our relationships. A Norwegian study found that those who prioritized humor were more likely to live past 70 than those who didn’t laugh often.
to people. When he passed away nearly two years ago, they were really sad, and it took them a long time before they started thinking about adopting another dog.
It was just last year that they finally knew it was a good time to consider adopting again. They wanted a dog who was pet-and human-friendly, so they could have their grandchildren over without having to worry about scaring anyone. That’s when they heard about a breeder who recently had puppies become available: three females and four males (those were Elsa, my siblings, and myself)!
Mom says that when she saw us, she knew we’d be perfect for her family, but at the time they only thought about adopting me. It was a couple of weeks until I could leave my birth mom and live with
At a biological level, laughter can reduce tension in your muscles and activate a powerful stress-relief response from your brain by releasing dopamine. Just one chuckle may even improve your breathing and heart function! In fact, laughing can work wonders for the heart. One study showed that laughter therapy helped reduce the blood pressure and cholesterol levels of its participants. Their blood circulation improved, too. Studies have also found that regular laughter can help strengthen your immune system, and it has long-term benefits for those with respiratory conditions. In addition to your body, laughter is also good for your social life. (And we don’t mean that people will want to spend time with you if you have all the good jokes!) Throughout history, laughter has been an evolutionary sign of understanding. When there are language barriers, laughing together can create camaraderie and a tighter bond between people of different cultures. The dopamine release that comes with laughter aids in stress relief and creates powerful memories that can improve your mood and strengthen friendships. Of course, laughter has its downfalls, too. Laughing at someone else’s expense is detrimental to their health and can harm your relationships. So, stick to light jokes and actively seek shows, cartoons, or people who make you laugh. You’ll feel good, and your body will be pretty happy, too.
my new family when my soon-to-be human mom learned that Elsa had not been adopted yet. Afterward, I found out that she and Dad had always wanted two dogs
and this was a great opportunity! So, Elsa and I came to live with our human parents — we were really happy to be together!
Even though we’re littermates, Elsa and I are nothing alike. My sister is always full of energy and I’m a little
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