My Dog, the Hero

My dog Gizmo really is a hero. He saves my life each day without even knowing it. And all he asks for in return is for me to toss him his favorite toy and to feed him the food he likes. Oh, and the occasional cuddle.

And who wouldn’t want to cuddle with this guy?

The way I met Gizmo was a little unconventional and it took me a bit of time to get used to the fact that I was responsible for this life. He depends on me to take care of him and give him what he needs.

What I didn’t expect was how much he would take care of me.

Studies reveal how owning a pet can improve our health and quality of life. To me, the biggest benefit has been an increase in happiness. Sure, there are times when Gizmo runs off with a pair of my socks and hides under the sofa where no one can get him, resulting in a complicated sock-retrieval scheme where furniture gets moved around to block his escape, which drives me absolutely insane.

But none of that matters when I come home after a long day and here comes Gizmo, bounding down the hallway to the door and jumping up and down like a mad thing, simply because I’m home. It melts my heart every single day and makes me laugh even when I’m miserable.

Gizmo turned 4 yesterday which makes him an adult in dog years. But he’s always going to be my little puppy.  And as much as I hate the costumes and props people get for their dogs (you can just see the humiliation on their faces as they’re forced to walk around in Easter dresses and heels), I may be tempted to get Gizmo a little cape. He’s a superhero after all.

Do you own a pet?

Has owning a pet improved your well-being?

What are you thankful for this week?

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter!

As always, keep paying it forward. Stay healthy! 🙂