“No relationship that humans have is quite like the attachment we form to non-humans.”

I am a dog addict. When I see a dog in the street I just need to pet him and hug him. I remember that when I was little I really like dogs but nowadays my addiction has been getting stronger and stronger.

When you are little you just don’t care about the world, you just worry if your toy is not in your room or if your dad does not want to buy you an ice cream.

I am getting old and the more I think about it the more I notice that I do have a problem. When I was 12 my parents started to fight more than usual. My dad lived in the city and my mom, my sister and I lived in another state. I used to see my dad only on weekends and I spent the whole week with my mom. At the age of 16 I made a decision to study abroad, my mom came with me but she left me with my uncle and returned to Mexico. When I noticed that she was going to leave soon I begged her not to leave. She agreed and I spent the whole year with her living beautiful experiences.

When we went back to Mexico I was really excited because I was going to see my dad and my sister. The first week was hell. My parents fought every minute of the day and I just could not stop crying, I felt that it was my fault because I made my mom stayed with me. Four months later I found out that my dad was having an affair. I saw the texts messages and I saw how mom´s heart broke.

I was feeling awful, my mom used to cry all day long, she didn´t eat, she didn´t go to work, she didn´t go out of her room, she didn´t even go out of her room or even her bed, my sister just did not care about the problem and my dad was living his perfect life as if he was in his honeymoon. I found myself in a dark and sad house where there wasn´t even food to eat. I supposed I was depressed too but I just couldn’t notice it. I was taking care of my mom. Dr. Katie Kangas said: “Anxiety and depression involve emotional turmoil and negative internal ‘self-talk,'” explains. “These thoughts typically spiral into unrealistic negativity and this continues in a vicious cycle. (Kangas, s.f.)” Dogs help break that cycle by providing comforting companionship and a sense of purpose for their owners

Three months later when I was visiting my aunt, I saw this beautiful tiny black dachshund. She was just one month old and her owners abandoned her with her family in a lonely house. She was so little that she was the only one that could fit in the grid and the only one that my aunt could save. They named her Niki, name that I found pretty disturbing for such a tiny thing. Niki was afraid of people, she was a happy dog but when someone approached her she just ran away as if something bad was about to happen, when I grabbed her she peed on me because she was scared of me. My aunt told me that I could take her home with me and so I did, I named her Charli.

Charli was my savior. When she arrived home I was so happy. I fed her, I bathed her and at night I slept with her. She brought happiness to my life and I overcame my problems with Charli by my side.

Dogs are one of the most beautiful animals for me. Reading on the internet I found that they help a lot of people. In fact, dogs have been proven to be so effective at helping combat anxiety, stress, and depression that the government provides funding for PSTD therapy groups.

I found out I was depressed and my dog helped me. After overcoming every single problem with my family, school and I became a dog addict. I feel the need to give them love just like Charli did for me.

Bibliography

Kangas, K. (s.f.). Elice Science Vet. Obtenido de https://elitescience.net/products/animal/pet-wellness-academy/