My Love For Animals Started When… Alli’s story

By on March 23, 2016

We’re encouraging readers to tell us their stories. And the story we want is the simplest one all we pet lovers have. “My love for animals started when…”  Below, you’ll find Alli’s story (she’s a content contributor here). To read mine, click here. Want to tell your story? Use our contact page!

From Alli:

I’m fairly certain that I came out of the womb loving animals, but I do have a vivid memory that I believe was the turning point and the realization in how much I love animals.

I don’t remember how old I was, besides that I was young, probably between ages 5 and 10.

We had a beautiful golden retriever named Henry. He had pure golden curly hair and he was incredibly beautiful. He lived a very long, happy life. But we did have to put him down because of severe hip dysplasia, which is really popular in Golden Retrievers.

So anyway, that night….I don’t remember the day or why my whole family and I had gone out, but we all left the house. This was back in Henry’s younger years when he was a crazy Golden Retriever, so we had him in the backyard when it was nice out and what not.

Well, the night turned not so nice…and it ended up storming while we were out. Thunder, lightning, pouring rain, the whole shebang. We had a very large backyard and deck. Henry would jump the fence so we did have a leash on him, it was really long and allowed him to roam around, and it allowed him to get up onto our big wooden deck.

The thunder must have terrified Henry and he ended up busting through part of the deck, just completely destroying where he ran through it. We came home to Henry off of his leash and cowering under the deck. I remember my heart absolutely melting. I was so incredibly sad for him, and felt so bad that he was that scared. I had never felt empathy like that before. That night, and that moment that we came home to poor Henry so scared, was the night that I realized all animals have feelings and emotions that are just as real and just as powerful as ours, and our feelings being the same, made me fall in love with Henry and ALL animals. I remember crying for Henry, I still cry for animals, and I probably always will, whether sad or happy stories, I will always be touched by animals and always mindful of their feelings, just as I am with humans.

 

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