Written by Varenya Vijaykumar

Have you ever seen tiny baby animals? Pets are so adorable. They look chubby and cute, and their enormous eyes just make you want to bite them (please don’t bite them). But you know what else they do. Pets make you feel fantastic. They bring out the best in you, and they make you more considerate, caring, and responsible. There’s scientific evidence that pets help your mood, life, and emotions. The power of animal companionship is incredible. They make you feel less lonely and fulfill many of the fundamental human interactions everyone craves, whether it’s touch or just a cuddle.

Speaking From My Heart about pets

When I was 25, I moved to a brand new city. I did not know anyone there. It was kind of daunting. I’d spent much of my life being the odd kid out, and I like to think that it made me mentally strong. Being alone didn’t scare me much, or so I thought. I filled my days with many things. I’m a workaholic by nature, and all my activities meant less time for a social life. After a few months of work and coming back home every day to an empty house, I was frustrated. I didn’t want to go back home, where I had no living soul who wanted to see me. I felt a kind of loneliness I’d never really experienced. I couldn’t explain it.

A Sign From Above For My Best Friend

One day, when I was wasting time on Facebook, I saw an animal group post about a breeder trying to give away the last puppy he felt wasn’t going to be sold. The post was depressing. It seemed as if the puppy didn’t get adopted or sold, something terrible would happen to him. That’s how I met my first dog, Zeno! It was a nightmare for the first few months; I won’t lie.

Zeno was adorable, but he wasn’t very healthy. I wasn’t even sure he’d make it to his first birthday. I was terrified, but I was also unbelievably happy. I didn’t even know it was possible to feel such opposing emotions. Today, I can’t imagine my life without him. He’s the friendliest Dachshund you’ll ever meet, defying all the stereotypes. He loves meeting new people and making friends. There’s not a single person who dislikes him.

My Best Friend, my pet Changed My Life

The experience changed me forever. While taking care him, it brought out a side of me that I didn’t even know existed. In the beginning, I carried him with me everywhere. The little puppy had a severe case of worms. Vets suspected everything from parvo to leptospirosis, and I ran from pillar to post to figure out what was happening. The diagnosis wasn’t good. Zeno was always sick. But despite all the suffering, this little 3-month-old puppy would come to comfort me, as if I was the one in misery. He was delighted to travel with me in my handbag and meet everyone, and he loved all the attention.

Seeing my pets’ selfless love for me really changed my perspective. My depression and loneliness had vanished.

Friends Grow Together!

I needed to cook him a natural diet because his stomach needed time to settle from the overload of medications. As he grew older, he could no longer fit into my handbag. He had to stay at home, but coming home felt less like a chore. I stopped working overtime and started rushing back home to take him for walks. He turned out to be more popular than me. Because of him, we both made new friends. Every time we went for a walk, I was swarmed with people who wanted to cuddle this ultra-friendly sausage dog. It wasn’t something I had expected, but it had happened all the same. Nine months later, I adopted a second pup named Shadow. Then a few years later, I adopted Sasha.

When friends turn into family

Eight years later, I cannot imagine my life without all three of my furbabies. I’ve spent the last year away from them as I finish my diploma, but the thought of them strengthens me. I’ve managed to get through this past year of repeating my experience at 25, all because of them.

I adopted a dog on an impulse because I thought I was saving him, but he ended up saving me instead. They’ve turned my life around. Dogs are pure souls. If you give them love, they will give you back that love tenfold. It’s a tremendous responsibility. You owe it to them to be the best version of yourself, to be more responsible and caring for their sake. But I think it’s worth it. I’m a better person now than I was eight years back, all because of my dogs.

You’re Not Alone when you have pets

Dogs make excellent companions when you go out. One of the first things I did when I bought a car was to load my pups in and go on a road trip. When we went on our road trip, if we stopped, I’d have people swarming them, trying to pet them, or just playing with them in general. We’ve gone out to eat together, and whichever restaurants we went to, the pups were a hit with the patrons. They’re my exercise buddies, and we go for walks together. Unless specifically told, I assume most of my invitations to go out are me plus three. It’s awesome to go out with them and have other people coo over them. They join me at work a couple of times a week.

I’ve even taken them to a special needs school for children where all these kids were thrilled to play with them. We’ve gone hiking together, played at the beach, and I’ve even taken them to a cooking class I once joined, where they kept getting kitchen scraps from everyone there. The lady who hosted the class picked up Sasha and walked around with her for the entire class duration. It made me genuinely happy to see them so loved. Pets are family, and they evoke the same emotions in you and the same happiness. You don’t have to take my word for it; give it a whirl and see what happens. I know you won’t be disappointed.

Download OOt Social, go out and find other parents with furbabies, and turn your playdate into a fun evening soir’e.