Three and a half years ago, Melissa Fortier made Manchester-by-the-Sea home, drawn by the ocean, beautiful beaches, and the unmistakable charm of the community. It's also where Oliver and Oakley have become two familiar little faces, happiest with sand beneath their paws and the people they love close by.

Oliver, a six-year-old Shih Tzu, came into Melissa's life in November 2020, during one of the most difficult seasons she had ever experienced. Living alone through the COVID shutdown was isolating and overwhelming, but everything changed the day Oliver arrived.

"He brought so much joy to my life," Melissa says. "He always had me smiling and laughing, and we got through those COVID days together."

A few years later, Oliver got exactly what he didn't know he was missing.

As the owner of a dog walking business, Melissa noticed that Oliver had become attached to many of the dogs he spent time with each day. When they went home, he seemed lonely. She had dreamed of adding a second dog for years, and in March 2024, the timing finally felt right.

Enter Oakley.

From the moment they met, the two Shih Tzus were inseparable. Oliver immediately stepped into the role of big brother, keeping a watchful eye on his little, two-year old sister wherever they go.

"He's so protective of her," Melissa says. "He always makes sure he knows where she is."

While Oliver is known for his gentle, easygoing personality, Oakley keeps life entertaining. She has an unforgettable happy scream she lets out whenever she's excited or hiding one of her treasured toys or treats.

"If you don't know her, you'd think she was being murdered," Melissa laughs. "She's really just happily yelling."

Oliver's toy collection is legendary. Anything that honks or grunts is an instant favorite. Oakley, meanwhile, proudly carries around her beloved flat toy with no stuffing, announcing her hiding place with dramatic enthusiasm before settling in with her treat-filled snake puzzle.

But Melissa's favorite memories have nothing to do with toys or beaches. For several years, she regularly brought Oliver and Oakley to visit her grandmother in a nursing home in Maine. Although dementia had taken many of her grandmother's memories, the dogs never failed to bring a smile to her face.

During one visit, Oliver quietly laid beside her wheelchair for the entire afternoon while she held his leash. At the end of the visit, she looked at Melissa and said she could leave him there while she went to do other things.

"It's a memory I'll always hold near and dear to my heart," Melissa says.

These days, you'll often find Oliver and Oakley enjoying Manchester's outdoor treasures, especially Singing Beach, Masconomo, and Tuck's Point. Ask them to choose their perfect adventure, though, and the answer is simple: any beach will do. Whether it's here on Cape Ann, along the coast of Maine, or even on a road trip to Maryland where they discovered wild horses, these two are happiest with salty air, open sand, and each other.

Oliver may have helped Melissa through one of life's hardest chapters, but together, he and Oakley have turned everyday moments into the kind of memories that last a lifetime. In a town that treasures its four-legged neighbors, these two little beach lovers have certainly earned their place in the pack.