Final Additions to the Family

When I was young, I was frightened by dogs.  Ironically, I am writing my passion blog about my love for dogs.  In third grade, I used to stand on top of my friend’s kitchen table to prevent her corgi from “attacking” me.  Keep in mind that her corgi was 10 inches tall and weighed 25 pounds.  About a year later, my family adopted Angel, a 90 pound black lab, and we brought home Princess, a 130 pound malamute, two years later.

I was still scared of dogs, when I met Angel for the first time.  Her energy and excitement overwhelmed me because she dashed from me to my dad, brother, mother, sister, and then back to me.  To protect myself from this bundle of joy, I sat on the window sill.  As soon as I realized that Angel’s heart was full of love, I fell in love with her.  Whenever I am upset about a poor grade or a mistake, I can always count on hugging her and being comforted by her.

When we met Princess, her name was Red and her brother’s name was Blue.  Despite Princess’ immense size, she never would hurt anyone.  Even though she is nine years old, she still thinks that she is a delicate baby.  Princess was the perfect, final, and furry addition to our family.

Princess and her brother were abused before they came to the SPCA.  When Princess came home, she seemed very skeptical about us.  Loud noises, such as thunder and fireworks, terrify her.  Every time she hears an intense noise, she squeezes under tables or behind one of the chairs in our family room, even though she barely fits.  Princess only began to fully trust my family after a few years, because of the trauma that she had endured.

According to an article from The Humane Society of the United States, dogs are one of the most common victims of animal abuse.  The 1,423 U.S. cruelty cases suggest that 71.1% of animal abuse cases involved the torturing of dogs.  In addition, one survey declares that 71% of abused human victims stated that their abuser also mistreated animals.

Animal cruelty causes dogs to feel alone.  Since they do not trust humans, they are more likely to react violently with mechanisms such as biting.  The personalities of dogs are deeply affected by mistreatment.  Constantly living in fear causes these dogs to put up a defensive guard, and the resulting stress ultimately leads to a variety of physical and emotional issues.

Despite the abuse that Princess endured, her loving and calm nature has developed over the years.  Angel and Princess provide my family with unconditional love, which is the greatest gift in life.  They have clearly made our lives richer and happier.

Although my house might be known in the neighborhood as the house with two crazy dogs, who freak out at the sight of dogs or people through our large living room window, it is filled with love and laughter thanks to Princess and Angel.

One thought on “Final Additions to the Family”

  1. I can relate so much to your blog post because I too grew up, first afraid of dogs, but then fell in love with dogs. I actually have a dog that we rescued from an animal shelter when he was 7 years old. He is the sweetest and kindest dog you will ever meet, but he was actually abused by his previous owners. When you were talking about your dogs and your experience with them, I found many parallels between your story and mine. My dog has had such a positive impact on my life, and so has your dogs by the sound of it, and I look forward to you sharing the positive effect of rescuing dogs with people.

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