Boys fishing in a bayou, Schriever, La. Cajun children in a bayou near the school. Terrebonne, a Farm Security Administration project (LOC)

I would advise my friend to get a fish instead of a dog. Keeping a dog is a lot of work: you have to walk the dog, feed the dog with big bags of dog food, dogs bark, they need to be house trained, dogs shed fur, the can have fleas.

On the other hand fish: don't need to be walked, house trained, they don't bark. Of course you need to change the water and get the right fish tank. But you can decorate the tank with plants and gravel and possibly lights making it look great. Get the fish.