If a human had been betrayed, neglected and mistreated the ways that Ember was, the human wouldn’t smile hopefully at strangers. A human would be distrustful of the species that hurt her. And, if her body had been used almost to death, a human wouldn’t find the attitude and energy to invite someone to play.

Yet, three-year-old, now-spayed Ember greets people with her play bow. It’s the universal position that every dog and many humans recognize as one of the friendliest of canine messages.

And this is Ember’s heartfelt message, even after her people made her have litters of puppies repeatedly, even though they almost destroyed her body. It’s what Ember offers new people, even after her other people moved away, leaving Ember to die.