First and foremost let me say, my animals are my family. I can’t imagine living a life without them. That being said, it’s not cheap and it’s not for everyone.

I was that “kid” in college that had a dog. I had to leave all the parties early. I couldn’t just take off and go away for the weekend. I had to be the responsible one. But really, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I have never lived alone, not really.

I adopted Holden a little over 9 years ago (!!!) He lived with me for two years when I lived without roommates in college. He kept me sane. At times he drove me insane. But I was never alone.

He’s kinda hard to photograph as he’s mostly black, and never sits still. So that’s the best image I have for now. But honestly, it speaks to his character. He is my little (medium sized) shadow. He is literally always underfoot. When I’m out of town, my roommate frequently texts me “I always forget how clingy Holden is! I have tripped over him twice today! When you’re home he just follows you but when you’re gone, he’s all over me!” Yep, that sounds about right.

I never worry about walking him at night, he will snarl and growl at any and all strangers (human and animal alike). In my house however, as long as I’m happy to have you he’s happy to have you. I think if I ever really freaked out about someone in my house (stranger, burglar etc) Holden would lose his shit and go after them. And I’m not complaining. Holden keeps me safe. He is definitely MY dog.

Jethro is my current foster dog, who will be staying when we get legal custody of him. I am madly in love with this dog. First of all, he has no idea how to dog. When we first brought him home he had no idea how to do the stairs, get in or out of the car, play with a toy, go through doorways, take treats, walk on a leash, or literally a hundred other normal dog things. Currently 5 months in and he is worlds better. Still has no idea he’s a  dog, but we’re getting there.

(You can kinda see my roommate’s golden in the background)

Fostering animals is one of the most rewarding experiences I think a person can have. It’s extraordinarily tough at times, but entirely worth it. You are giving an animal time, time to come out of their shell and show their true colors.

Many animals do not thrive in a shelter environment. Some are too fearful and lash out. Some are just shut down. But letting that animal in your home allows them to settle and show their personality. It’s really magical! Jethro may be a foster, but only in the legal sense. He is my dog through and through. I love every ounce of his squishy, wiggly, goofy self.

For the record I have a cat too, but I think I will keep this post just about the pups and give George his very own post soon. George is my soul-cat, he deserves his own post (he certainly thinks so!)

Now that you all know my general thoughts on my critters, I think I should call it a day, don’t want to be that crazy person who never strops talking about their pets…….! But next time I think I will cover the general cost of pet ownership. Again, owning pets is definitely not for everybody but I wouldn’t trade my boys for the world.