The other day, this big-hearted grandmother named Maria marked her 89th birthday at home in Brazil. But it was far from a fuddy-duddy sort of affair.

It was actually a celebration most people can only dream of.

Maria, you see, has many furry friends.

Grandma Maria shares her home with her daughter, her daughter’s family and a happy pack of adorable dogs — 10 in all. To them, Maria is the embodiment of kindness and love. And she makes sure all her dogs get plenty.

“The house is very busy!” Vitoria Abencoada, Maria’s daughter, told The Dodo. “She loves living with animals. She loves to cuddle with them.”

So, it only made sense that, when Maria’s birthday came along, all those pups would throw a party.

The dogs sat alongside Maria at the table as the celebration got underway. And no birthday would be complete, of course, without a birthday song.

Surrounded by so much love, Grandma Maria was radiant.

It was perfect:

“The dogs loved participating in Grandma’s party!” Abencoada said. “Here, they are treated as part of the family. They participate in everything.”

There was delicious food served as well — treats for people and more than a few for pups.

Over her many decades on Earth, Grandma Maria has no doubt experienced her fair share of joys and celebrations. Perhaps too many to even count.

But thanks to her love of animals — and their love for her — after 89 years, it just keeps getting better.

Today, pets offer companionship, emotional support, reduced feelings of loneliness, and reduced stress levels. It also contributes to high self-esteem and positive emotions, especially for children. And although many people enjoy the company of their dog or cat and would never think of getting rid of their pet, consider it a family member. However, in many cases coexistence between humans and animals is not always successful and in some cases the relationship does not work out, when the family is committed, adoption is their last resort.

There are various reasons why animals are abandoned on the street, some of these reasons are lack of time to give them adequate attention, economic hardship, unwanted litters, parenting issues. children, new family members or they lose their home.