Nothing aggravates me more than when someone makes the argument that pets are not a part of the family.

To me, they are. They make my life a better place. They were like the missing piece, and now my family is complete.

I can't imagine my life without my dogs, and it's sad because one day I will. I wish dogs had a longer lifespan, it's not fair that they get one-tenth of the life that we get.

I got my dog when I was seven. I'm fortunate enough to still have her at basically nineteen years old. She was a rescue from a kill shelter in Georgia, and she was the pup for me. I met other dogs that day, but we locked eyes and it was fate.

I was given the chance to name her, and so my seven-year-old brain decided that Babydoll was the name for her. Not my best move...

I have grown up with this dog, we have gone through the good and the bad. She's stuck by my side longer than any “friend" has. She protects me, she's scared away robbers who tried breaking into my house. She gives me cuddles when I'm sad. She swims with me in the pool, she is my sister.

If Babydoll was born as a human and adopted into my family, she would be considered my sister in society. So why is that not the same scenario? Yes, dogs are biologically dogs, but mentally they are equivalent to people. Frankly, I think my dog is smarter than some of the people I've met.

The day that Babydoll is no longer there will be a tough day when you've grown up so attached to something, and then it's gone, it's hard to accept. I wish I could tell her all this, but she would just wag her tail and move her head left and right pretending like she's listening.

Tell your dog, that they're a good dog. Think of how they have changed you, your life, your family. I know that Babydoll has a special place in my heart. She's not just my “dog", she's my sister.