A Human's Love For A Dog
My Emotional Support
Imagine having a bad day at work, feeling frustrated or upset, and the minute you walk through the front door of your house all of that goes away. Not because your doorway is a magical arch of peacefulness and healing, but because there is a 4-legged fur ball on the ground licking your ankles, and no matter how loud the barks are or how slimy the kisses are, coming home to something that loves you that much, is the best therapy in the world.
The phrase "a dog is a man's best friend" couldn't be more accurate. That's why dogs seem to be the go-to pet when looking for a companion, whether it be to accompany you on daily walks or to provide unconditional love. It's come to my attention recently that there are a lot of split opinions about Emotional Support Animals, and for anyone who doesn't understand their importance, I'd love to share a story about the brown-eyed puppy who has changed my life in just two short months.
Choosing to get a puppy was one of the biggest, most impactful decisions of my adult life so far. Being in college is hard, I've said that before and I'll say it again. Leaving your friends, family, and familiar surroundings, to go to school and get a good education is difficult, but it's important. Some of the things we do in life to better ourselves are unknowingly also hurting us. I knew that leaving home wouldn't be easy, but I didn't know it would mean spending weekends alone in my bedroom due to the lack of people I knew in a town that was still unfamiliar to me.
Being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder as well as having other underlying mental health issues has always put a huge weight on my shoulders, and stopped me from enjoying my life to it's fullest potential. Dealing with the intensified highs and lows of my everyday life led to me shutting people out and struggling to understand myself. Being a psychology major helped me to realize exactly what I needed, support. I needed something steady and reliable that I could count on to be here for me every day when my friends failed me, and my family couldn't. I realized the one thing I loved in this world the most were dogs, so it only made sense that I put the two together.
My now almost 5-month-old puppy has more of my heart than I'd like to admit. He does more for me than any friend ever could. He's the best listener I've ever met, and when I want to go for a hike or lay out in the sun, he never decides "no, I'd rather not." He gives me someone to do things with when I'm bored or lonely, and he loves to cuddle when I'm feeling down. He's always down for a good time, and he is the happiest little bundle of joy I've ever seen. That's just how dog's are, always positive, and that positivism really does rub off.
Dogs might just be the most loyal and loving creatures on this earth. It's important to me that everyone knows how special emotional support animals are to their owners. They bring sunshine into our lives when all we seen were clouds. They save us from the things that nobody else can.
All dogs are emotional support animals, whether they are registered or not. That's why humans love them so much, because they give us back just as much as we give to them. They spend their entire lives caring for us. I'm sure everyone with a dog can agree to all of these things.
So thank you Berkley, for giving me your love. I can't wait to spend the rest of our time together, doing all the things you enjoy. Here's to you, my little 5-lb savior.
