Ever since I could remember, I have had a dog in my life as my best friend. I had my first dog, Boomer, when I was only a few weeks old.

I had barely been born, and I already had my first protector.

She was a Border Collie/Blue Heeler mix. Since I was a baby, I always had a dog with me.

However, since we were in the military, we had to give her up to my grandparents since we had to go across the “pond” to England. I was not old enough to really remember Boomer as mine, but more so when she lived with my grandparents where she eventually passed away. I know that I loved her though because whenever we visited, we always hung out downstairs. We were inseparable.

While we were over in England, we were not able to have a dog since my mom became pregnant with my brother and it was too difficult to keep track of two children and a dog. Therefore, we had a few years where we did not have one. I don’t remember a lot about my childhood over in England other than the fact that I came back to the United States with a British accent and was told that I was not old enough for kindergarten even though I could have easily kept up since I was so far ahead.

Anyway, in the year of 2002, a bouncing baby yellow Labrador was born.

He was destined to become our next family member.

In the early weeks of 2003, we brought home a little puppy who became a best friend to my brother and me. We grew up with him, and he was around for a long time. That yellow Labrador was named Zeke. He was a bit of a stubborn guy and wanted to do whatever he liked.

Even when we told him “no,” he really did not like to listen, but we loved him anyway. He was my dad’s best friend and his hunting partner. He was the one that I came home to crying whenever I had a bad day at school, and he just let me lay on him and love him until I felt better.

I could never repay him for how many times I cried and loved him. He was my best friend, and it broke my heart when he passed away in one of the harshest ways possible.

However, before he passed, in the year of 2007, my parents left my brother and me to go look for a new truck.

Instead of a truck, they ended up bringing home a little baby puppy, except this one was a girl.

She was a little sick one that my mom decided to save.

I now had two best friends to enrich my life with all of the love a dog can give. It doesn’t matter what kind of dog they are. A dog will always love you unconditionally and be so happy whenever you come home, whether it is five minutes or five hours.

When Zeke passed from a seizure, I was so depressed for weeks upon weeks. No one understood how much he meant to me. He was my first best friend who never judged me or took advantage of me (except when he wanted biscuits). It broke my heart and it took me a long time for the heartache to pass.

We even made a garden for him in the backyard which still stands to this day. I am grateful I had the opportunity to have him in my life. Zoey is still around, which is fantastic, and she still enriches me to this day.

While I went off to college, my parents decided to bring a new friend into the family — a baby yellow Labrador again!

This one is such a goofball, and they ended up naming him Zeke as well as a remembrance. I was hesitant at first, but it ended up being the right name for him.

After all, I think of him as a reincarnation of my first best friend that I lost back in 2012. I miss him so much, but I see him within this puppy every day! It saddens me to see people throw dogs away to adoption centers because they don’t want to take the time to train them. It hurts so much, and I don’t think that is fair to them.

If you want a dog, they are basically a kid that you are responsible for!

You need to be willing to make the sacrifices in order to ensure that your kid is happy and healthy! Whether that be paying the vet bills or snuggling them in your downtime, your kid needs loving, and that is why dogs enrich our lives so much! They are our little furry children, and I could never live without mine! Eventually, when I am older, I will have my own furry kid that I will be able to call my own, and I am ecstatic to see that day come!