Millions of people worldwide experience the joys of having a pet. Whether it is a cat, a dog, a bird, a reptile, a rodent, or even something bigger like a horse, the experience of having a pet is like nothing else in the world. A pet, no matter what species it is, provides you with unconditional love from the moment they meet you.

I remember when I was in the third grade and I went to look for a puppy. They were all outside in the yard, but there was one that stopped the second that I walked out and ran over to me; I picked her up and she began to lick my ear, and she wouldn't stop. I knew at that moment that this was the puppy that I wanted. She had no idea who I was or why I was even there, but that didn't matter to her; there was some type of bond between the two of us from the moment that we saw each other.

Misty (the name that I drew out of a hat) was by my side for the next nine years, and the night that she died, I was laying down on the floor with her. She stretched out her neck and licked my ear—the same ear that she went after the very first time that I saw her. Having a pet is an incredible experience and I wouldn't trade my time with my dog for anything, but the feeling of losing a pet is devastating and it is something that you will remember for the rest of your life.

I'm writing this because last week was the three year anniversary of my dog's passing and it got me thinking about how much pets can actually influence our lives—especially for children. Having a pet is an incredible way to teach responsibility, ownership, and—most importantly—love. The bond that people share between themselves and their pet is something wholly organic and it is different for every person and every pet; even people who have multiple pets will have a different type of connection to each one. Pets provide companionship in a time of loneliness, love in a time of need, and joy in a time of sadness without asking (not verbally, obviously, but you know what I mean) why. It is said that dogs are man's best friend, but I believe that role is interchangeable with any type of pet. Animals have the uncanny ability to know exactly what we need, even if we don't know it ourselves.

When I lost my dog, I was heartbroken. Misty was the only dog I have ever known and I practically grew up with her. I cried, I was angry, and I was dissapointed, but as time passed, I began to think about all of the things that Misty and I had done together, all of the silly things that she used to do and it made me realize that everything she did made me happy and I can't help but wonder if she did it all on purpose—just for me.

It was a while after she died and I read a book titled, A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron (a shameless plug here, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who has/had a dog or pet) and it was a moving novel (complete fiction) that confirmed my belief the pets are of the greatest things on earth and a love between a pet and their owner is no other.