Our two year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix, Sydney, may not be Lassie or Rin Tin Tin, but she has definitely saved me. We adopted her from a local animal shelter on Valentine’s Day of this year. She had heart worms and needed a few trips to the vet, some injections and couple overnight stays at the shelter, but she has recovered well and is a bundle of energy!
She prances from her crate to her food dish in the morning to scarf down her breakfast (much how I approach my food), then crouches and waits for some play time. Sometimes she has so much zoom from sleeping all night that she sprints in little circles around the living room. It is hilarious and adorable. Her playfulness and energy come out on walks sometimes too, when she turns around and bites the leash then tries to kick up the pace. It’s as if she’s saying, “Let’s run, Mom,” She is a pup after my own heart.
Sydney need not worry, though, because we fell in love with her the first time we met her at the shelter. I had been begging my husband for a puppy for a while (the kids even longer) because I was in the midst of one of my worst depressive episodes. I felt lethargic and hopeless much of the time and the loneliness was almost unbearable. On the darkest days, I had moments where I questioned my presence on this earth.
While I still had some sadness and low days after we adopted Sydney, my mood quickly improved. She gave me more reasons to get out of the house into the sunshine and fresh air and to get and give physical affection (don’t worry, I still hug and kiss my husband and children too). We had this irresistible creature who depended on us for her care, and her reward for our care was (and still is) unconditional love. Her whole backside shimmies when she wags her tail to greet us. She follows me from room to room and will even paw at my phone or a book when she wants my attention. I never need to worry about how my hair looks, whether or not she will like the food I give to her, or how she will react when I am not in the best of moods.
I can count on her to lick my face or rest her head in my lap at just the right time. Seriously, dogs are the best. Cats are okay too, if you’re into that sort of thing (or lizards, fish, snakes, whatever floats your boat). Adoptions have skyrocketed during the pandemic and, to me, it’s not surprising. Animals can be wonderful companions and there is some research to show the mental and physical health benefits of owning a pet. Make sure you carefully consider the pros and cons of owning a pet before you take on the cost and commitment. While it would be great to have something to help you through the pandemic, animals do not deserve to be abandoned when they are no longer convenient for us. Please read this article for information about owning a pet:
Things to Consider Before Owning a Pet
Lastly, I leave you with a picture of our precious Sydney on a hike on a local segment of the Ice Age Trail
Redefined Runner 