Being a Pet Owner Means Always Having a Best Friend You Can Count On

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” – John Grogan

The greatest joys and life lessons we learn and experience are often seen through having a pet. They teach us about life, love, loyalty, responsibility, and happiness. We are taught how to form connections and bonds with one another, and often times we learn who we are as individuals through our pets. They know when we are lying, if we are angry or upset, hurt or happy. And when the right pet comes along in life, they can also teach us about heartbreak, appreciation, sadness, and death.

When I got my first dog, Midnight, I had never truly owned a pet before. I had to learn to be responsible for another living, breathing creature. For twelve and a half years, she was my best friend. She saw me through the highs and lows of being a teenager, surviving high school, and halfway through college. She taught me patience and how to laugh at myself through her silly yet loveable Labrador antics. She was the silent ear when I needed someone to talk to without judgment. When I lost her in 2012, it was like losing a piece of myself. There are still things I cannot do to this day, four years later, without feeling a little ‘ping’ of pain, ridiculous things such as making toast in the toaster.

The healing process that occurs after losing a pet is much like losing a loved one. You quickly understand the stages of grief and you go through them, one after the other time and time again until the pain slowly subsides. It never fully goes away, but over time it hurts less and less. The most important thing I learned was to not set a time limit for grief. There is no time limit for grief. You will grieve as long and as often and as hard as you need to or want to. I also learned another lesson: I always thought Midnight would be with me well past college, but death is inevitable. It happens to all of us, some sooner than others. Pets teach us to live in the moment and make the most of our life.

The hardest part is opening yourself up to being able to have another pet. Some people never have another pet after losing one. Others go out and get another right away. After I lost Midnight, I wasn’t sure I wanted another pet but over time I began to realize there were things that I missed. The clicking of toenails on the floor, the loud panting behind me as I was cooking, big soulful brown eyes staring at me intently as I ate, and the overall routine that develops from owning a pet.

In 2013, I got Mason and fell in love all over again with his loyal personality. He’s mellow yet stubborn, but also very loyal and always overjoyed to see me when I come home. That’s the other part about having a pet that we often times take for granted or do not always see until after it’s too late: their unconditional love for us. My mom tells me that he sits at the window every day at 5pm, waiting for me to come home from work. When I do, he bounces through the house and runs to get a toy to give me. He still has his ‘helicopter tail’ in which his tail whirls around like a helicopter blade when he gets really excited.

In 2014, my mom and I brought Mason’s sister home, Coco. If there is one thing I can say that I have learned from Coco is how to be happy and outgoing and free. She reminds me of a free spirit who is content to do her own thing. If she were a person, she would be one who didn’t care what you thought about her and she would be everyone’s best friend if they would let her.

Whether it is a cat, dog, fish, horse, turtle, guinea pig, etc. having a pet teaches us so many things about ourselves and about life. Bringing a pet into your life means knowing that if you love them and care for them and respect them, they will do the same for you.