I Adopted My Dog And It's True What They Say, A Dog Is Really Man's Best Friend | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Featured

I Adopted My Dog And It's True What They Say, A Dog Is Really Man's Best Friend

I don't know what I'd do without Oscar.

4794
I Adopted My Dog And It's True What They Say, A Dog Is Really Man's Best Friend
Emma Vega

One of the hardest things I've gone through in life was dealing with the death of my dog. Bowzer was a unique dog, with crystal jade-colored eyes and markings on his fur that you never see. He was full of energy all the time and someone had to keep their eyes on him 24/7, but he was the baby of our family and we loved him dearly. That's why it was so hard to lose him so abruptly. I remember it clear as day, but I won't put you in the position of picturing that. I cried for weeks. It took me a long time to go through the grieving process because I had only lost one other dog before, but I was too young to remember it being so sad for me.

A few months of having no pet in my family's household was too much to handle because there was never a time where we never had a dog or cat. The atmosphere of our house was out of line without a dog running around, getting into things that weren't theirs to get into. It was the beginning of the summer as we were adjusting to this change, and about the same time that my cousins from New Mexico were coming to visit us in Michigan.

They had planned to drive, rather than flying up like they usually did. We had been informed that there were eight puppies found (alive!) in a garbage bag in the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and they had adopted one of those puppies in our name to complete the hole in my family's hearts. He's our little celebrity dog now, having been on KRQE, Albuquerque, New Mexico's TV news station.

It took two days for my cousin and her family to drive up, along with their own dog, a pug named Lou. As they neared our house, I remember feeling nervous. Would the dog hate me and continuously attempt to run away? Seeing him for the first time was bittersweet. I didn't want to replace Bowzer, but we really needed a dog in our family to keep our spirits up. It's true what they say, that a dog is man's best friend, so we were so excited to finally have that again in our lives.

He was a sweet, small little puppy covered in white fur. The only marking on his back that he still has today is the black spot in the shape of sunglasses on the top of his head. He had black eyelashes on one eye, and white eyelashes on the other, and one eye had a black spot around it. We always joke that the makeup artist messed up. He was and still is, very quiet and calm. Like any dog, he loves being massaged and pet.

We wanted to choose a special name for him that was ironic to us finding him. We decided to go with Oscar, as in Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street (since he was found in a trash bag). It's truly a miracle how it all came together. We had enough time to grieve our former dog, and Oscar and his siblings were found at the same time our cousins were preparing to visit. Of the 6 million dogs and cats that are abandoned or sheltered each year, we were fortunate enough to have one join our family.

We quickly learned a lot about our new dog, and a lot of his misbehavior traced back to his beginnings. We immediately noticed a food/eating problem, where he would scarf down his food so fast that he would almost choke on it. He was also extremely anxious when left alone, even for just a few minutes. He always has to be by someone's side (which isn't so bad). These traits root back to the horrors of starving and being trapped in a confined space with seven other puppies for who knows how long. We have worked patiently with him to get over this, and he is a lot better now.

About five years after adopting Oscar, we got into contact with the mother of the boy who found the puppies. They had ended up keeping one, and we discovered that both of our dogs had the same behavior. Both had eating and anxiety issues, but both were just as loving and gentle as the other.

Dealing with the death of pets is never easy, and it's one of the saddest things about being a pet owner. It was especially hard for my family and me, but what made us feel better was that we adopted another puppy that was in dire need of love and a home. There are too many dogs and cats in this world left abandoned, abused and/or neglected. One of the best things you can do is adopt from or donate to a pet shelter, or even foster a pet in need. To find out more information, go to the Humane Society.

Report this Content
university
University of Nebraska at Omaha

Creating your schedule for the upcoming semester can be an exciting process. You have the control to decide if you want to have class two-days a week or five-days a week. You get to check things off of your requirement checklist. It's an opportunity for a fresh start with new classes (which you tell yourself you'll never skip.) This process, which always starts out so optimistic, can get frustrating really quickly. Here are 25 thoughts you have when registering for classes.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

10 Thoughts Of A 5th Year Senior

What about those of us who don't do it all in four years?

1074
college shirt
pointsincase.com

"College will be the best four years of your life" is a phrase that we have all heard growing up. College is painted as a magical place to us while we are in high school. A place you go to learn, meet your best friends and probably have the time of your life while all of this is going down. Four whirlwind years, where everything that you've known changes and you start to learn what it means to live on your own, have a job, etc. But what about those of us who don't do this all in four years? Major changes, hard courses, switching schools, career paths changing, these are just a handful of factors that could extend your four years to five, six or seven. There is nothing wrong with taking extra time to graduate, but returning as a fifth-year is a little different. Most of your best friends have most likely graduated and moved and while you may be one of the oldest undergraduates on campus, you might feel as awkward as a freshmen. A world that became home and comfortable to you is still there but it's slightly different than you've known it to be and you have to find a groove to fall into. These are thoughts you'll have as you look ahead to returning to your college campus, with a victory lap planned.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

17 Times "Friends" Accurately Described Life

You can't say that no one told you life was gonna be this way.

248
friends

In the 12 years since it went off the air, "Friends" continues to be adored by millions. The show that gave generations unrealistic expectations about love (or should I say lobsters?) and New York City apartments had a charming cast of characters that everyone could relate to at some point or another. Here are 17 times Ross, Monica, Joey, Chandler, Phoebe and Rachel accurately described life.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Times Aubrey Plaza Described Sophomore Year

"I don't want to do things. I want to do not things."

606
Aubrey Plaza
Flickr Creative Commons

Aubrey Plaza is one of my favorite humans in Hollywood. She's honest, blunt, unapologetic, and hilarious. I just started my sophomore year of college, and found that some of her best moments can accurately describe the start of the school year.

1. When your advisor tells you that you should declare a major soon.

2. Seeing the lost and confused freshmen and remembering that was you a short year ago, and now being grateful you know the ins and outs of the campus.

3. Going to the involvement fair to sign up for more clubs knowing that you are already too involved.

4. When you actually do the reading required for the first class.

5. Seeing your friends for the first time since last semester.

6. When you're already drowning in homework during syllabus week.

7. Realizing you don't have the same excitement for classes as you did as a freshman.

8. Going home and seeing people from high school gets weirder the older you get.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

College vs. High School

Freedom vs. Curfew

302
graduation

Things you may not realize are different between high school and college:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments