When Jessi’s boyfriend takes his life, she is cast into a downward spiral of anxiety, guilt, and severe depression. Scrolling through photos of shelter dogs, Jessi identifies with a sad-looking puppy who seems to reflect her own sadness, and Jessi adopts her. Andi shows Jessi the way out of her darkness into a bright future.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned from Andi is how to live in the moment and take joy in the littlest of things. Seeing how happy she is when we do something simple, like going for a walk, is inspiring. She was instrumental in my learning to take life one day at a time, to not dwell in the past or worry about the future but just to be here now. I think that’s something we could all be better at.”

Jessi Burns