It was a very rocky childhood and young adulthood. Growing up with an alcoholic parent made Mary Martin's life miserable. It was a very unhappy and lonely time in her life. She tried desperately to experience the love and attention that is normally present in most children's lives but her life was anything but normal. She was never taught how to truly love someone or how to receive love from someone else. She struggled through her childhood days only to encounter an equally rocky marriage. The unhappiness and lonliness she experienced during her marriage was, at times, unbearable. Mary longed for the love and attention in her marriage that she never experienced as a child.

She searched for someone or something to help her through her difficult marriage. It was a very special dog who entered her life and who saved her time and time again during that difficult time. It was that very special dog who taught her about love, forgiveness and friendship when no one else in her life ever could.