Anyone who knows me knows about my obsession with dogs. But, who can blame me? They're loyal, kind and crazy cute. My friends may think I have a bit of a problem, but I think I'm living my best life when I'm around them. Here are eight examples of my dog-obsessed life:
1. Whenever I leave home.
Whether it's for the entire semester or a weekend, saying goodbye to my dogs is always an event. We spend our final hours together cuddling or going on walks, and I always have to give them one final pat on the head before I walk out the door.
2. When therapy dogs come to campus, they are all I can think about.
Every second my professor lectures at me is another second that could have been spent with dogs. I often come close to skipping class. One time, I convinced my entire class to take a field trip with me to indulge in the puppy breath and furry cuddles waiting on the mall.
3. I chose my college because we have a live mascot.
While I was faced with choosing my home away from home, there was nothing more comforting than knowing I could choose a school that loves dogs so much it has a real bulldog who attends sporting events and roams around campus. Every time I see Trip, I'm the first one on my hands and knees scratching him behind his ears.
4. When I FaceTime home, I FaceTime my dogs.
Sorry, Mom and Dad.
5. The number of dogs I walk past directly correlates to the quality of my day.
I can't walk past a dog on campus without going out of my way to pet them or at least say "Hello." Luckily, college campuses are home base for many dog lovers, and I'm not the only one greeting dogs instead of their owners as I pass by.
6. When I found a lost dog, she became my child.
When I found a dog wandering around campus, her well-being was my top priority for the week she was in my care. While I had her I bought her supplies, reported her to every lost pet site I could find, called the local animal shelters, hung up flyers, found her housing on a day-by-day basis, took her to the vet, took her on walks and slept on the floor with her during the first night because she was nervous and refused to be left alone.
7. The day my dogs came to visit me on campus was the best day of my life.
There's no joy that compares to sharing your home with the dogs you love most. I gave them the official tour, and they came to dinner with me at our campus' dog-friendly restaurant. Classic family weekend.
8. I don't trust people who don't like dogs.
Anyone who isn't all over the purest, most loyal beings on the planet must have something wrong with them. Peoples' love for dogs is the quickest way to judge their character, or at least our compatibility. Dogs have never led me wrong in the past.