I had always been an animal lover, from Hamsters to Hippos, but didn’t have one of my own until the age of eight. Our family already had a dog, an incredibly smart golden retriever named Chauncey, who came into our family three years before me – as a third birthday present to my older brother. Although I loved Chauncey dearly (he could fit three tennis balls in his mouth at once!) he always ‘belonged’ to my brother.

One day, my parents took me to a house and introduced me to one of my Dad’s work colleagues. My Dad told me they had some business to discuss, but I didn’t mind because I quickly found her two dogs to play with. After a little while, I was playing with a little brown dog named Ginger when my parents told me that they didn’t need to discuss business after all. Imagine my surprise when they asked if I wanted to take Ginger home with me! I think I was in shock, but was so excited that I didn’t have to say goodbye to my new friend.

Ginger was a mix of Whippet and Saluki (part of the Greyhound family) and soon came to sleep by my side and be my companion. I would dress her up in my sweaters on winter days because she was so thin, watch in awe at how fast she could run and was comforted by her presence when my family had to move to a new state later that year. She brought joy to my family, helped keep Chauncey active when he started to age and ultimately enriched our lives.

By: Elizabeth
Hometown: Phoenix