May 14, 2013 3 min read

Some days, I’d take talking with an animal over a human. Ever since I can remember, I have loved snuggling up with a furry creature. Of course, I come by it naturally. I remember stories my mother told of her childhood, about how her dog gently carried in her mouth kittens just born to Mom’s cat.

And it is a trait passed on to my daughter, who keeps begging for a second dog to keep Jake company, even though he lives with two cats.

From horses to hamsters, they all have found a spot in my heart.

My first pet was Queenie, a basset hound who was only a year old when she died of some bizarre disease she contracted while boarded at the veterinarian’s office.

Next came the corgis. My dad surprised my mom and me with Daisy, a young Pembroke Welsh corgi bred by his friend and the friend’s wife. At first, I thought she was kind of funny looking because I had never seen one before, but I soon came to love the breed.

We still had Daisy when Danny came along. His parents were champions, but, unfortunately, Danny wasn’t equipped for the show ring. He, along with our third corgi, Taffy, resulted in the fourth, Misty.

And along the way there were the horses. Like many young girls, I dreamed about riding one day. After much persuasion, I finally was allowed to take riding lessons. One thing led to another. First I leased a palomino, Bucky. Mom liked him because he would shove his nose in her purse to see what treats she had for him.

But I really wanted a horse to call my own. So off we went to a farm in Boardman, Ohio, on a warm Super Bowl Sunday to take a big, black mare for a test ride. I hopped on and she took off across the field. I did manage to get her to stop. The price was right – $350 plus $25 for the truck ride to a barn in Peters Township.

Kelly was quite a jumper, and we won our fair share of ribbons. I had her for 20 years until the sad day she had to be put down due to infirmities of old age.

Destiny, our first Dalmatian, would crawl across the floor when told to crawl in smoke. Holly, the second Dalmatian, had an affinity for chocolate and Safeguard soap.

And I can’t forget the cats. After we got Holly, we promised our daughter she could get a cat. Enter the late, great Kelly, named for the horse, who knew how to open louvered doors. Princess, the fat cat, gets upset when she can see the cat in the bottom of her food dish. Sassy was just a tiny thing when she wandered onto our driveway almost 15 years ago.

Then there is adorable Jake. We adopted him four years ago from the Greene County Humane Society. I don’t think a sweeter dog exists. He loves belly rubs and Jumbonz, as long as there is not a boom of thunder off in the distance. Then he switches into panic mode and is inconsolable until the storm threat has passed.

After more years of having a furry creature in my life to love than I care to admit, I can’t imagine life without one.