Some dogs chase cars.

Mickey chases water.

I couldn’t believe my eyes the first time I saw Mickey’s tiny body collide in mid-air with a bucket of water. Then he did it again, and again and again, each time getting more and more excited.

Mickey is a Yorkie. (Or maybe he’s part of a new, yet undiscovered breed — the Yorkshire Water Terrier.) He is three-years-old and weighs a bit more than those Yorkies you see peeking out of expensive leather totes accompanying well-dressed women on their way to wherever it is that they go.

He weighs in at a whopping seven pounds. I figure he needs a little bit more body to contain all that personality and energy. His proclivity for jumping and for water was discovered quite by accident. Mickey’s person, Susan, remembers that she was emptying the kiddie pool one bucketful at a time and tossing the water across the yard when Mickey began chasing the water. The higher she threw the water, the higher Mickey jumped, and the more excited he got.

And so it began.

When Mickey isn’t pursuing water, he may be doing volunteer work for the Humane Society, his favorite organization. Apparently, he is irresistible perched in the slightly modified child carrier on Susan’s back, sporting a tiny football jersey and cap in his favorite team’s colors.

At a recent two-day event to raise awareness and funds for the cause, Mickey raised more than $400 just because he’s so darned cute, and folks felt compelled to part with their pocket change.

Mickey also loves to retrieve, and he’s attached to one special ball. When he’s not chasing it, the ball goes with him everywhere, on trips in the car and to bed every night.

Some of us chase dreams. Some chase cars.

And then there’s Mickey — chasing water.

Ann Malone is a pet photographer and can't remember a time she did not have pets in her life. Today she has three dogs, three cats and one parrot. She can be reached at annmh@live.com.