I miss my dog

So, since it turns out that I may have to move out of my apartment in a couple months, I've been thinking about where I would live if that happened. And then I thought about how fun it would be to find an apartment where I could have a dog. I have a dog back home (thirteenth birthday present; she lives with my parents) and I miss her terribly. I tease my mom that the only reason I visit them is so I can see my dog.

I've always been a dog person kind of by default, because I'm horribly allergic to cats. But I'm glad I'm a dog person. They're so loyal and selfless and unabashedly devoted to their owners (please don't do the PC thing and chide me for calling them "owners"...). There's something so endearing about that -- kind of like a part of myself I lost somewhere, that unjaded, optimistic part of me that isn't afraid to love. Dogs are the reflection of everything good about humans, minus our superior grooming habits.

So I was browsing websites for animal shelters and other pet adoption services, and I came upon this article about a dog in a shelter. I know sometimes they euthanize these dogs, but it's so heart-wrenching to actually think about it. I'm literally crying as I write this. I think for the same reason I'm such a dog fan, it breaks my heart to read about anything bad happening to dogs. I mean, it hurts in a way that it doesn't hurt to read about human tragedy. I don't think that means that I don't value human life, but there's something so wrong about an innocent, loving creature who's never hurt a soul being subjected to trauma or cruelty. If you're looking for a sure-fire way to make me tear up, any day of the week, tell me a story about a dog getting hurt.

I miss my dog. Maybe I'll make a weekend trip home next month. And maybe I really will find myself a sheltered dog in need of a home. Lord knows, they all deserve good ones.