I’ve always been told that I have a black hole for a heart and I have always agreed with that statement. Even as a kid, I was never super lovey. We had dogs in the family, but they were never mine or fully cared for by me, so I never got attached. Last June, my older sister adopted a 3-year-old, 15 pound Chihuahua mix named Beans and that’s when everything changed for me. From the first day we went to meet Beans, it was love at first site. He immediately came and sat in my lap and looked at me with his big brown eyes and stole my heart. Suddenly, I understood how and why people love having pets. The addition of Beans into our lives made my black hole fill up with love for this stupid yet adorable animal.
Adopting a dog changes not only the life of an animal for the better, but it changes your life for the better. These dogs didn’t get a great first go at the world, and now you’ve given them a second chance at being loved. Slowly but surely, Beans showed me how to let more love in my life. I used to barely even pet dogs and now when I watch Beans, he sleeps with me and everything. No one in my family ever thought they’d see the day, but for some reason this nugget changed me for the good.
It’s crazy to me how something so small, literally and figuratively, can make such an impact on who you are as a person. The first time my sister went out of town and I stayed with Beans was nerve wracking, I had never had a living thing that was fully my responsibility and yet I enjoyed my time with him and felt that I had done a good job. We are sort of similar in the sense that all he wants to do is sleep and eat, and so do I. Somehow, we are a perfect pair.
Adopting is a great choice for people who don’t have time or want to raise a puppy. These animals up for adoption have mostly had tough lives, and by adopting them, you make their lives better. It’s also nice to come home to a bundle of love waiting to greet you, although Beans did go through a phase of peeing on me every time I came over, but we’ve gotten past it.
Beans has changed how I feel about more than just dogs, but he’s changed how I feel about more personal things as well. I never used to like being touched or cuddled in any way, but now I steal Beans away from my sister and make him cuddle with me. I even miss him and look at pictures of him when I haven’t seen him in some time. Again, this is something I thought would never change for me and this dog did that without me even noticing. Is this what love feels like? I honestly wouldn’t know.
Adopting a dog may seem like a lot of work, but honestly it is so worth it in the long run. Beans hasn’t even been with us a full year, and already I feel so attached to him. He is my nephew and I am his auntie. I will protect this small boi with all my heart and those are words I never thought I’d hear myself say. Thank you Beans for making me realize that love isn’t so terrible. If you’re in the Los Angeles area and you’re looking to adopt, check out Wags & Walks at http://www.wagsandwalks.org/ for more information.