Pets Are Our Family Members

You can call them animals, pets, companions, but most importantly, they are family. We live our lives accompanied by our intermediate and extended families. However, we also can feel further enrichment when we include animals/pets into the fold. The list varies from cats, dogs, fish, lizards, birds, spiders, and others. Once we decide to take responsibility and care for them, the attachment becomes euphoric because we can watch them grow daily and be charmed by their personality and characteristics.

As time moves, we no longer view them as pets and firmly entrench their position into the intermediate family. Every moment we take them out for walks, groom their bodies, clean up after them, and provide endless hours of affection, the bond increases exponentially. Throughout my life, I have enjoyed the company of dogs that were a part of my family. They provided me a friend/companion and emotional therapist when dealing with a situation that provided me sadness and anguish. These dogs helped cultivate my mind and made me a kinder and more loving individual because they give loyalty to their family members no matter the circumstance and situation.

A challenging moment is growing up with these dogs or other animals once they have become pillars in your life and have to deal with the difficultly of seeing them deteriorate physically due to old age until they ultimately pass away. The pain is different because you expect them to be with you forever, but that is not how life works. Every memory of your animal friend becomes more precious because the bond created was so strong.

My dog Kaiya was a female Bichon Frise with all-white fur, and she possessed an abundance of energy mixed with sporadic moments of poise and calm composition. I met her fourteen years ago when she was a puppy, and I was a slender teenager trying to figure out my passion in life while looking for my first entry-level paying job. After experiencing thirteen years of employment and earning my diploma and degree in journalism/communications, Kaiya had grown with me sharing all of my happy moments and successes.

After dealing with health complications, Kaiya suddenly passed away. The moment devastated my other dog Peppa and the rest of my family. The moment of her passing showed me how vital her existence was to my life because I remembered and reminisced about all the fun times we had together. Even though grief, sadness, and pain are still in our souls, we remember all the great times with Kaiya and understand she is with us forever because she will always remain family.