Dogs have formed a part of my life, all of my life. And while I have had my heart broken by their passing ultimately, I will never for a moment regret having them as a part of my life.
One of the good things about having a pet is that you have constant companionship. They are the best possible company and in my experience, perfectly assume the role of listener. When I was a teenager, the family dog listened to all my highs and lows looking at me with such love and adoration I would slowly feel better if I’d had a bad day. One time, while I was suffering from some illness or another and in bed our dog got on the bed with me and wrapped her paws around my neck, gently encouraging my head onto her chest as she soothed me. That must have been 35 years ago and I have never forgotten the comfort she gave me.
Pets are also a great way to get exercise. I’ve had dogs come running with me, join me at the thrice-weekly Boot Camp I used to do, and if I wasn’t up for such full-on workouts, we would go for long walks. I used to love the long, long autumnal weekend walks with my dogs then coming home and having a lovely breakfast or brunch. The walks over Constable Country where we live are memories I will live with forever, especially the one time we got hopelessly lost somehow and ended up walking miles and miles. That served me right for thinking I knew what I was doing in walking from Dedham to Flatford off the beaten track!
Pets are also a great way to meet new people. Before I met my husband, I moved to a new area. I knew my cousin who lived nearby, but otherwise I didn’t really know a soul. With my two little dogs, I went to the park near my home and gradually began to make friends with other dog walkers. We would chat about our dogs, our lives, and I became firm friends with one woman in particular with her lovely dog Bella. It made what could have been a lonely time much better. I had just returned from living in Newcastle for a couple of years and while I still had my friends from before I’d moved there, their lives had moved on whereas to a large extent, mine had seemed to be preserved in aspic. I’d been in Newcastle for work, I knew it wouldn’t be a permanent move and so I was in a kind of hiatus really. It was a strange time. So, I had a new job, a new house, new dogs, living in a new area and having pets meant I met people who eased my transition.
Those two little dogs I had in those days helped me get over a deep heartache, cancer, a miscarriage, lots of things that I think I would have struggled with quite a lot without them. Their behaviour made me laugh on a daily basis. Every single dog I have ever had has had such an amazing, beautiful personality. The purest of souls, which I firmly believe all animals have.
My grandmother bought a little Jack Russell puppy when I was 15, the cutest little thing you ever saw. She was full of sass and attitude from the moment my grandmother brought her home and she was devoted to my grandfather and my grandmother’s brother who lived with them. She was very much a man’s dog probably because she could wrap them around her metaphorical little finger. Within two years, both my grandfather and uncle had died devastating my grandmother and Sally. As soon as it was just the two of them, Sally decided she no longer ate dog food but needed to eat whatever my grandmother cooked for herself. I honestly think her behaviour meant that my grandmother didn’t give up and stayed alive for another 10 years for which I will always be eternally grateful.
There are more good things about having pets than I can list here. They’re great for your mental health, great for your physical health, and they can provide a reason to continue when life seems its darkest. More than anything else, the good thing about having a pet is the experience of receiving unconditional love.
Louisa Simpson 