Every day when I would get home from school, I was greeted by one of my best friends, who licked me relentlessly while we rolled around on the floor—my dog, Amber. For as long as I can remember, I have been a pet lover, from continuously visiting Sea World as a kid to stopping to pet every single dog I passed on the streets during my childhood.
My dog, Amber, was welcomed into our family on January 27, 2012. We were living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the time, and my parents had promised me that once we moved to KL, we'd get a dog. We had been living there for roughly eight months, so I decided to hop on my parents' case and take them up on that promise. I would send them links to dogs for adoption every day (sometimes even twice a day) until my parents finally caved and went to visit some dogs for adoption.
At 10 at night, we went to the final destination: a kind lady who had two Golden Retrievers up for adoption. Almost instantly, my family fell in love with the female puppy; she clung to my parents and rolled over for my brother to give her belly rubs. This pup was captivating; she had this extra pep in her step that made me want to give her infinite belly rubs. She was the cutest puppy, and we knew that we just had to take her home.
Amber has been with my family through thick and thin. She moved with us from Malaysia to the US, she caused us so much stress when she accidentally almost ate a frog, and she's made us smile even during the saddest of times. Amber is one of the gentlest dogs I've ever met; she never bites. My family has this theory that she thinks she's not a dog because whenever she sees a dog, she looks away with this disgusted look on her face. Amber never fails to bring a smile to our faces.
Beyond that, Amber has impacted me so, so much. She wakes me up every morning with her cold nose being shoved in my face, she forces me to get out of the house and take a breath of fresh air when she has to pee, and she always finishes my food when I can't.
My friends refer to her as Amber the Wonder Dog, because she's not just a gentle giant, she's also a certified therapy dog. She visits colleges, airports and old folks' homes to relieve people of their stress by petting a dog. When my friends were stressed during the AP exam season, they loved to study at my house because when they felt overwhelmed, they could just lean down and pet her.
This fall, when I start college, I have to leave Amber behind. I won't be waking up to her wagging tail and cold nose. I won't be able to pet her whenever I feel stressed or overwhelmed; I feel like I'm leaving my best friend at home.
I know she'll only be a car ride away, and whenever I want I can come home and visit her, but it's another thing to not see her and play with her every day. Out of all the people I'll be leaving behind, I'm saddest to leave Amber, my Wonder Dog.
