Meli Melzzz

Getting a pet dog was always something that I dreamed of ever since my first pet. Around the age of 6, my dad got me and my sister a guinea pig as a birthday gift. But between the two of us, I was the only one who constantly played and took care of him. A few months in, my sister started having allergic reactions due to our guinea pigs’ fur, so my parents decided to give him away. As any other 6-year-old would do, I started crying and throwing a fit, so my parents made me a deal that we would get a dog by the end of the year to compromise. I would mention the promise every single year until I gave up on the idea of ever having a dog in our household. Then one day, in April of my senior year, my sister unexpectedly showed up at the house with the cutest puppy I had ever seen. When my mom got home, we were worried that she wouldn’t let us keep him, but she had immediately fallen in love with him. Later we were coming up with names to see which one fit him the best and finally decided on Hercules. He ended up bringing our household even closer; before, we would all be in our rooms doing our own thing. After we got him, we all got together almost every day just to play with him, and it became a part of our daily routine. We treat him just like any other family member; we celebrate his birthday every year and even make him special dinners. Whenever I go back to visit from college, I know that even with my mom and sisters’ busy schedules, Hercules will at least be home welcoming me every single time.