IN MARCH of last year, my cousin’s work schedule became incompatible with raising his first pet, a brown and white Bernedoodle puppy. I took her in, not knowing just how much she would change, well, everything. I set alarms every three hours to take her outside throughout the night. Too much? Maybe! But I was now, for the first time, raising a puppy.
I researched dog behavior and health, constantly learning more about what it means to not just raise a puppy, but to understand her. Her fur feels like thick carpet in a new house. She rarely barks, and when she does, it’s to let me know something important. Honestly, tears came to my eyes the first time I left her home alone. Ali Ru turns 2 years old next month. Her best friend and “brother,” Atlas, a Golden Shepherd, are what I call my “work-from-home-co-workers.”
Life looks a lot different than it did two years ago. And I wouldn’t change it for the world. They may get the “zoomies” and decide to WWE wrestle. They may softly place a fluffy toy on my desk. They may sling water across the house after coming in on a hot summer afternoon. I may be on my hands and knees, scrubbing muddy paw marks out of the new rug, but I’d do it a million times over.
Our furry friends remind us that it’s not just other humans we share this world with. They breathe oxygen into their lungs just like we do. They get excited when someone knocks on the door, just like we do. They love to be free and have fun, just like we hope to do. They build a bond you can only explain with a warm and empathetic heart. Somehow, even though they are not, they remind us what it means to be human.
This issue of Good News is about our furry friends, the people who work with them daily, the owners who have changed because of them, and more. I hope you can cuddle up with your furry friend and enjoy these local, positive stories. Story after story, we share proof that sometimes when its paws on the welcome mat, it finally feels like home. GN
