I grew up with dogs. There has never been a day of my existence where I haven’t had a dog to go home to. When I came home from the hospital for the first time, there was a dog waiting to greet me. When I left home to go to college, there was a dog wagging her tail goodbye. Although I’ve been around dogs for over twenty years, I’ve only recently begun to understand the true significance of having a dog in your life. In June, my family and I had to make the difficult decision to say goodbye to our yellow Lab, Bella. She had battled and beat cancer in 2018 until it came back in early 2020. It eventually came to the point where her several cancerous tumors were blocking her lymphatic system, creating tremendous swelling. It was clear she was uncomfortable and in pain, but I still tried to argue with my parents that she would be okay. Bella was thirteen years old. I was there when we got her, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon when I was in kindergarten, and I was there the moment she died.
Dogs make us happy, make us laugh and give us comfort. After spending only a semester at a college out of state, I returned home. The experience wasn’t what I wanted or expected it to be and I was miserable, yet when I came home, I was so upset with myself for being unable to stick it out. My motivation was dwindling and it was hard for me to get out of bed and go to class. The mascot of the school I had attended was the bulldog and I somehow persuaded my parents to get one of our own. Lulu, without a doubt, saved me from the depressive state I was in. She is the greatest thing in my life. She cheers me up when I’m sad, she gives me kisses and hugs, she sleeps with me, she makes me laugh and most importantly, Lulu has given me a sense of purpose and fulfillment. No matter how I feel or what’s going on in my day, Lulu loves me just as much. Her love is unconditional. She doesn’t care what I look like, what size pants I wear or how much acne I have. A dog is undoubtedly a girl’s best companion.
When I had my heart broken for the first time, I cried on the shoulder of a dog. When I learned how to walk, a dog was there to support me if I fell. When I celebrated a birthday, a dog was there to help me open my presents. They’ve been there with me through everything — my mom’s cancer diagnosis, my struggles in school as well as all my accomplishments. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without that happy face and wagging tail. I don’t know what I’d do if a large ball of fur didn’t come hurtling at me whenever I walk through the door.
