When I moved to Ottawa, I knew there would be lot of things I would be leaving behind. I was prepared to say “see you later” to my friends and family, “so long” to high school and “adios” to my favourite coffee shop. The one goodbye I wasn’t prepared for was saying goodbye to my dog. My family has only had one dog my whole childhood. She’s a standard poodle sized ball of fur and love. Not coming home to her wagging tail greeting me just didn’t feel right. I know I’m not alone in missing my pet, either. I’ve heard from a lot of people that it just doesn’t feel the same living without animals. You get used to having a happy energetic creature around you and without your pet, it just seems lonely.
Coming to Ottawa and being without my four-legged friend, I found myself melting over any puppy I saw a little bit more. I’ve definitely embarrassed my boyfriend when we go out because I’ve stopped in the middle of the street to pet a stranger’s dog. Then, one day, my best friend introduced me to a Facebook group called “Dogspotting.” This online community is devoted to showing the world cute dogs that are seen on the street, at events, or even on public transit. These puppies come in all shapes, sizes, colours and breeds. The whole point of this group is to brighten people’s days with a little bit of puppy love and I am all for it.
This Facebook group is brilliant. It is literally virtual puppy therapy. I see puppies having a grand old time doing whatever they are doing all around the world and it most definitely brightens my day. When I’m sad or stressed out and I see a dog wagging its tail, it is a small reminder that there is some joy to be found. A lot of people believe that animals just know when something is wrong and then will try to cheer you up whether that is through cuddles, a supportive bark or even bringing you gifts like a shoe or tennis ball. So here is my gift to all of the dog lovers of the Her Campus world: Dogspotting. Your timeline will be filled with dogs rather than bad news. You’re welcome. One warning, though: this group is highly distracting. You might accidentally spend hours looking at the dogs rather than studying for a midterm. Just know you’ve been warned. #sorrynotsorry