Dominica Dog Names

Sometimes, dogs can find their way into our hearts and our lives, affecting us in ways we could never imagine.  While looking for a pop culture spotlight for this guide, Amani came up.  She is a female Border Collie and Husky mix who changed and enhanced the lives of Lopez and Brittany Lomong.  Lopez shares his sad story about thousands of children who are the innocent victims of war and the evils which accompany it.  

Amani, a popular name in the Caribbean, is a name which means “peace,” and she has brought her peace into the lives of Lopez and Brittany.   She also represents something much bigger than goes much deeper -- she is hope.  You see Lopez, in a refugee camp in Kakuna without any family, was adopted at the age of 16 years by an American family and brought to the United States in 2001.  Amani was also a “refugee,” being rescued from a shelter in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the time of her adoption by Lopez and Brittany.  

The story, however, doesn’t end there!  Lopez and Brittany share what they have learned from Amani since they adopted her.  Some of the things he points out are things that we should all be thankful for but, we here in the U.S., frequently don’t appreciate how good things are here.  Lopez says that she taught them an appreciation and celebration of food! He reminds of us the exuberance with which dogs, especially puppies, meet their daily meals, describing the “food dance” that Amani does, having some difficulty remaining in her “sit” position while the tail wagging, bouncing and spinning take place.  For Lopez, her behavior is a reminder of how he felt in the refugee camp when they were given the single small daily meal, accentuating how blessed we indeed are in the USA.

She has shown them how important family is, as she daily displays unbridled love and devotion to Lopez and Brittany.  He says it doesn’t matter how tired Brittany is or how hard he has worked, Amani still has hundreds of licks and kisses to make it all go away.  She reminds him of the greatest gift he was given - being surrounded by a loving family.

She has brought peace to the family.  Though she is a bundle of seemingly endless energy, she helps them feel secure when they sleep, knowing they’ll awaken safely, unlike those thousands of people in war-torn countries who worry about the safety of their loved ones.

This list could go on, but the message is apparent.  Lopez and Amani work hard to train to run and do amazing things so that they can raise money to provide a better life for the children in South Sudan.  Amani is peace and so much more!