Kelly Kulla, my mother, used to be terrified of dogs. She only had cats growing up and had a couple of bad run-ins with dogs. Jeff Kulla, my dad, grew up with Saint Bernards, which are very big dogs.
via 123rf.com
When my parents moved in together, they had two cats, Liz and Snowball, or better known as TeeTee and Buddy Boy.
Snowball
Liz
While they loved their cats, my parents did not like taking out the litter box, and my dad missed having dogs around, but knew they were not suitable for apartment life.
Within a year, my parents moved into a small house in a suburb of Kansas City called Roeland Park. My dad wanted a dog, but did not pressure my mom into getting one, respecting her anxiety.
While driving home from work, my mom noticed a small, black animal laying on the side of I-35. She looked at it closer, and realized that it was a stray dog. A life-long animal lover, she pulled over on the side of the road during rush hour traffic and went to pick up the dog. She was scared, but she couldn’t leave an animal in pain. The dog bit at her, but she picked her up and carried the dog to her car.
She drove her to the vet, expecting her to be put down, byt the vet told her that she was just clipped and would survive. My mom didn’t know what to do. She called my dad and told him the news, and after a few weeks, they decided that they should adopt her.
The dog did not have a name, so mom named her Lucky.
Lucky
Via The Kansas City Star
Three years later, I was born. We have had dogs my whole life, and we love them dearly.
My mother worked at a department store for 15 years, but after being a stay at home mom for five years, she decided to venture out into a new profession, dog grooming. Ever since 2005, my mom has been grooming dogs, and she is the go-to groomer in my hometown of Overland Park, Kansas.
My dad has worked in cell phone insurance since before I was born, but his life changed when he was offered a job at a start-up company called Companion Protect. Companion protect is a company that provides pet insurance for pet owners and shelters. Together, my parents show their love of dogs through their jobs.
My parents have taught me a very valuable lesson; when looking for a pet, it can be tempting to go to a store and pick out a pure-bred puppy, but there are around 3.3 million dogs and 3.2 million cats in animal shelters that need homes.
There are many shelters in the Chicago area such as PAWS Chicago, One Tail at a Time, and The Anti-Cruelty Society. Adopt don’t shop!