To our Past and Present Pups

Since this is our first blog we thought we would talk about the history of our love for dogs. Every dog lover can remember when their love affair with dogs took off. For many people dogs have always been in their lives and for some people dogs were introduced late in their life but have influenced them in immense ways. Our love affair with dogs began with our first pet, Cuddles. Cuddles was a cockapoo (cocker spaniel poodle). She was a small blackish gray puffball and she was amazing! Cuddles used to play soccer and bounce balloons on her nose with perfect precision but Cuddles was also our support system when our dad got very sick.

John Grogan from Marley & Me is a person who really understands the deep connection dogs and people have. He also sums up the way I feel about Cuddles and all dogs:
"A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty."

I too, think that we can learn a lot about life if we watch our pets. Since I have always been committed to animals it’s hard to pin point why I love them so much or why I’m so dedicated to helping them. I think maybe it’s because animals have always been there for me.

When I was 3 my dad got a virus which attacked his immune system causing him to become a quadriplegic and in hospitals for 6 months and an even longer time in rehabilitation. The doctors weren’t sure he would survive but they told us that if he did he would probably never walk again. My mom was left frantic wondering how she was going to keep our family together and how she was going to take care of 3 girls under the ages of 11.

We had 2 dogs at the time, Cuddles and Putzi. Putzi was always getting all of the attention until I came around and made everyone realize how cool our little cockapoo Cuddles really was. Since I was so young I had no idea what was going on with my family but I knew that my dad wasn’t the same dad anymore and I needed to talk to someone about it. Cuddles was there for me any my family when we needed her. She was always willing to listen to me. I think that I was able to connect with Cuddles and she was able to help me through our family’s hard time. Little did I know at the time that my loyal friend was dying herself. Cuddles was getting very old and she was not doing so well, she had arthritis and she was having a hard time controlling her bladder. My loyal companion would not give up though.

My mom told me when I was older that she told Cuddles that we needed her right now and that she was not allowed to die until my dad got home from the hospital and we were OK. So, Cuddles held on tight to us and gave us everything she had. Though she was frail she knew that she needed to take care of us and that we needed her to get through everything. We smuggled our little cockapoo into the hospital to visit my dad and it lifted his spirits and all of ours to see our entire family together again. I truly believe she understood what my mom told her and she put aside her own suffering to take care of us because sure enough my dad came home from the hospital in a wheel chair on the road to recovery and ready to work on walking, we were going to be OK and Cuddles knew it and died about a week later on Fathers Day.

Cuddles is the epitome of a hero. Her selfless acts of loyalty and devotion have stayed with me and have made me understand the true gift that animals bring us. Cuddles sparked my love of animals and was almost my therapist during that time. I think that animals are inspiration for how we should live our lives. Cuddles taught me that it’s important to be selfless; we spend so much time worrying about ourselves and our immediate needs that we might be missing out on helping others who need us. Cuddle taught me loyalty. Cuddles was fighting for her own life but she knew she needed to support her family and she did so without complaining. She let her 3 year-old “sister” rough house with her and she didn’t even make a peep. Cuddles and other dogs are examples of how people should live and because of her I have committed a significant amount of my time to helping animals. I have rescued, fostered, volunteered in shelters, and adopted animals. To this day I think a lot about Cuddles and I thank her for what she did for our family. She kept together a family who was on the brink of falling apart and she did it all with enthusiasm. Animals can change our lives and because of what Cuddles did for my family I have felt that it’s my responsibility to give back even a little bit of what she gave to my family.

This blog is dedicated to everyone's past and present pets that have come into our lives and changed us forever.