They say fate decides who comes into your life, but your heart decides who stays. And wherever fate is involved, nothing is an “accident”.

Sometimes, things are just meant to be.

This was the exact thing Shoke Lui experienced when fate decided that Mya was to be her companion and family for life.

“When I was travelling in Europe, a friend of mine asked for my help to post about a stray dog for adoption on my social media page,” recalled Shoke Lui.

“That time, while looking at the beautiful architecture of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, I thought that this might be a calling for me.”

Calling was an understatement; Shoke Lui spent her entire trip thinking about Mya. Wherever she looked and whatever she did in Barcelona, Mya was at the back of her mind.

“I even bumped into a dog that looked exactly like Mya!” laughed Shoke Lui.

When Shoke Lui came back to Malaysia, she immediately contacted the rescuer about Mya’s condition.

Unfortunately, nobody wanted to adopt Mya as she had an abnormal formation of the hip socket, otherwise known as Hip Dysplasia.

“And, after a month, the rescuer threatened me by saying that if I don’t take Mya away from her, she will release Mya onto the streets again,” said Mya sadly.

“I knew I had no choice but to take her with me and continue looking for someone special to take care of her.”

That was what Shoke Lui thought and said, but things took a different turn as she began to form a close bond with Mya.

Eventually, Shoke Lui decided to care for Mya and officially welcome her into her heart and home for life.

Based on what the vet told Shoke Lui, Mya is 11 years old this year, and may be a mix between a Japanese Spitz and a white German Shepherd.

“I was initially a cat person, but Mya taught me a lot of things about dogs that made me fall in love with them,” smiled Shoke Lui.

“Mya is basically a mix of everything; she knows when to bark and when not to, and she seems to understand what I’m talking about or how I’m feeling. At times, she can be quite stubborn and doesn’t want to move at all when she’s outside or even go back home!”

As for toys, Mya is not a fan. In fact, it may be that she does not know how toys function.

According to Shoke Lui, when she was gifted a tennis ball, Mya did not know how to play catch or pick up the ball. This cemented Shoke Lui’s theory that she was either a stray from birth or a breeder for puppies.

However, Mya found some form of entertainment at home when Shoke Lui dropped newspapers onto the floor and left the house for a while.

“When I came back, the newspapers were all over the place and torn! This made me so happy because that meant that she knows how to play with something!” laughed Shoke Lui.

Just like most dogs, Mya is afraid of fireworks and lightning. This was more evident during the recent Chinese New Year celebrations when fireworks were blasted for at least half an hour.

According to Shoke Lui, Mya was “shaking and hiding” behind her.

Otherwise, Mya is fearless. She understands and knows what “shower” means, and she will rush towards Shoke Lui, excited for her bath.

“She even knows what ‘vet’ means, and she loves meeting her doctor friends!” said Shoke Lui.

All things considered, Shoke Lui was pleasantly surprised at how Mya turned out to be.

She confessed that she was initially daunted by the task at hand, of caring for a stray with a hip problem but said that she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love her in every way, just as she is. I thank all my lucky stars and fate that we both met,” smiled Shoke Lui.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.