Animals are an essential part to many people’s daily lives. People don’t just refer to dogs as “man’s best friend” for nothing. Our pets help to counsel us, bring our families together, and spread general cuteness on a daily basis. We feed and house them in return, but the bond that one shares with their pet is unbreakable and the purest example of love to exist. The love between an animal and it’s owner can never be broken, and there are so many heart warming stories about dogs/cats finding their owners despite harsh circumstances to prove it. When an animal goes above and beyond to help counsel it’s owner in times of emotional distress, it’s title switches to emotional service animal. Even if you don’t get your animal registered as an emotional service animal, it can still serve the purpose of one. About two and a half years ago, my ex-boyfriend, Dan, and I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to adopt a kitten from our friend’s cat’s litter. When I first saw Effy, I knew she was perfect for us.

For the months that followed her adoption, I stayed at our shared apartment for most of the day and worked various jobs in the food industry at night. Dan was always busy with work, and didn’t have much time to attend to Effy or his own cat, Bruce. I effectively became the mother figure of Effy and Bruce, and when we split it was very hard on all of us to figure out where the cats, or our fur babies, would go. In the end, I got Effy and Dan got Bruce and everyone can look back on the situation as a precautionary tale against getting a pet with your boyfriend. But at the time, it felt like a real divorce with real children when we talked about who would get which cat(s). This is because our animal counterparts become our real children in a sense. We would do absolutely anything for them, and them for us. Any time I cry, Effy immediately runs to me and wipes my tears with her fur by walking back and forth under my face. She wont leave my side until I’ve not only stopped crying, but actually gotten into a better mood.

Effy is not only my best friend, she’s also my emotional support animal. I do not know where I would be without her today, but I do know living alone would certainly be more of a challenge. Next time you flippantly ignore your pets cute stares, which might actually be pleas for attention, remind yourself of everything that your pet does for you.