Life Will Never Be the Same

Recently I joined a cult. This group of people is not secret, but you may not be aware of the extent of the membership. The devotees work alongside you every day, you catch glimpses of them out and about and some of your family may even belong to this cult. For all I know you may be a lifelong member.

All you have to do to join is get a dog. Yup, after years of begging my husband, who happens to be allergic to anything with fur, we got a dog. I grew up with a dog and I wanted our kids to experience the joy you can get from sharing your life with one. I have to admit that was not the only reason, I really wanted a dog, too. My husband endured almost two years of allergy shots and we bought a hypoallergenic puppy.

Lucy is the ball of energy I knew she would be, being a labradoodle she is also soft and fluffy and resembles a giant stuffed animal! She is adorable, one look into her big brown eyes and we were smitten.

Once she had her third round of shots, we started taking her out and about. Wherever we go–Branford Green, the park, the pet store–people will stop and talk to us. Fellow cult members are usually the first to approach, we share puppy stories and dog treats. Her score on the cuteness scale is high as she is still a puppy, so she also gets a lot of attention from young kids, too. She’s smart, too, she knows if she sits still and lets the kids grab her hair she will get a treat!

So why do I think this is a cult? Have you talked to a dog owner? We tend to be a bit obsessive about our pets and, yes, we do think of them as family. Some dog owners even refer to them as their fur babies… so I’ve heard. Dogs make it easy to reach this level of obsession, they are always happy to see you, never get moody or hold a grudge and will listen to you without judgment. How many people do you know that you can say that about?!