What is a pet? Is it a dog, a cat? A fish, a hamster? Is a pet just an animal living in your house—one that you feed every day and walk occasionally?
I bet that at least 80% of the people reading this are tilting their head side to side; in technical terms, agreeing with what I said. But, how many people actually look at their dog or cat, fish, bird, hamster, etc. as a pet?
In my 20 and a half years of existence, my household has been dogless for a total of seven months. For the first 7 years of my life, we had KC; the next 12, Molly, and now for the past 7 months, Bailey. Every single one of these four-legged friends made such an impact on my life, so much so that I refer to each one of them as my sister. However, with Molly being present for the majority of my life—including most of my childhood and all of my teenage years, the love I have for her could never be surpassed.
Losing Molly was one of the hardest things I have ever been through. Going away to college and having to say goodbye to an elderly dog after each visit home definitely sparked up a fear within me. It was the uneasiness that that would be my last time seeing her. However, the very last time, I somehow knew. Saying goodbye to Molly in late October of 2015, before driving back up to school after a weekend home, brought more tears to my eyes than it had ever before. I looked at her and instantly knew that this was my last farewell. I dropped all of my bags down on the floor, sat down next to her, and sobbed into her body. I gave her as much love and expressed as much thankfulness I could possibly muster.
Three weeks later, I received a call from my mom. All she said was, "We are at the vet," but hearing that in her sad, breathy voice was all I needed to break down in the middle of my dorm room. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced in my whole life. I felt my chest cave in, my cheeks soaking wet with tears. I could barely catch my breath. The entire day, I was a miserable wreck. I tucked myself away in my bed, a box of tissues next to my pillow, an aura surrounding me warning everyone to leave me be. I have never needed my family more than in that moment, and yet they were too far of a drive away. Molly's death was a shock—even at 12 years old, she was a puppy at heart. What she gave to my family was more than just an animal in our home. She was a piece of us in every way possibly, sometimes more a child to my parents than my brother and I were.
This tragedy took such a large toll on my family, that even now we are still grieving. The consideration of getting another dog had not been in the question for months after Molly's passing. Nevertheless, our house felt empty, as any house would after losing a loved one. Most families are completed by their pets, a piece of the puzzle that has so much significance. They not only lighten up our days, but our lives. The way an animal can bring so much happiness and love into a home is extraordinary, however not unusual. Without a dog in our house, my family was lost. There was an unwanted void that Molly had once occupied and we needed to fill it with some sort of distraction.
In our eyes, Molly was the absolute best dog we had the pleasure of caring for. Although, there is something about Bailey that makes everyone's eyes light up when they meet her. At only five pounds, we call her "the hopper" or our "circus dog." She did not replace Molly, but instead reassured us that everything would be ok. We miss her after being separated for five weeks or five minutes. There is something about Bailey that does not make us forget about Molly, but ensures us that everything will be okay.
One of life's greatest cruelties is the fact that our animals, or animals in general, do not live the same life span as we do. We are able to care for them for a fraction of the time. Nevertheless, the love we have for them is eternal. It is inevitable that one day you will lose your pet. It will be heartbreaking, tragic, a shock, and it will not be okay. But, then it will be. The hurting will not stop. I can tell you that with certainty, but you will be able to move on. You will be able to conjure so much love for a new animal that will immediately become part of your family as soon as you bring it home.
Do me a favor. Go show your pet—whether it be a dog, cat, fish, bird, hamster, or guinea pig—how much you love them. Not only do they deserve the affection, but you deserve it, too.
