Jackson M

My name is Jackson and having dogs has genuinely changed my life for the better.

As cliche as it may sound, I truly believe that “a dog is a man’s best friend.” Of course, I have plenty of human friends and family members that I love and cherish dearly, but I have also come across many people throughout my life that I wish I hadn’t. Working in the service industry since I was 16 years old, I have been forced to deal with angry customers, unfriendly coworkers, and at times even bad management. However, EVERY dog that I have come into contact with throughout my life has not failed to cause a serotonin boost in my brain.

When I was ten years old, I begged my mom for a black labrador retriever for Christmas. The begging began four months before Christmas when a new friend that I had made at school invited me over to meet his black lab. From the time my mom came back to pick me up from that friend’s house, she never heard the end of how badly I wanted a new furry family member. From taking quizzes that match people with their “ideal dog breed” to creating plans to prove to my mom that I would be able to take great care of a dog, I never stopped pressing the subject. Fortunately, it paid off, and I woke up on Christmas morning to not just a new pet in the household, but a new best friend who retains that title through today.

From that day forward, I spent just about every moment that I was not in school, asleep in bed, or at a friend’s house playing with and training Cash. This persisted all throughout middle and high school as we grew up and matured together. Unfortunately, once it was time for college, I had to accept the fact that my mom had grown to love him too, and she would have been devastated having Cash and I move out at the same time.

At first, living apart from Cash was hard; however, now I think it may have been a blessing in disguise. I began spending some of my free time visiting and volunteering at the animal shelter to fulfill my passion for being around dogs since I was unable to see Cash as frequently. Then, one day that I was spending at the shelter, I came across a dog named Charlie. From the second I laid my eyes on her, I knew that I was not going to be able to leave that place without her. With that being said, I have now been blessed with two fluffy best friends since that day. Additionally, the two of them now have a friend of their own species to spend time with whenever I go to my hometown or Cash comes to visit me.