My sweet, short-legged companion is 3 years old today and I can’t believe how fast the years have gone by! I seriously can’t imagine my life without him. He has changed my life SO much but definitely for the better! The beginning of our story was not the easiest but he will always be the best decision I ever made.
When I was a sophomore in college, I was living on my sailboat by myself. I absolutely LOVED living on my boat but as time went on, I started to become more lonely and missed coming home to other people. Growing up with a big family, we always had dinner together and would talk about our days. When I lived on my boat, I would come home and really miss having someone to talk to or make dinner with or even watch a movie. Because of this, I started looking into adopting a pet to keep me company. I thought about getting a cat at first since they are a bit more independent. I even looked up what you have to have for a cat when living on a boat (which included tying a rope on the side of the boat into the water in case the cat fell in lol). But my true dream was to own a corgi some day.
For years, I was literally OBSESSED with corgis. I would tear up if I saw one on the street. So, I started looking up people who breed corgis and after a few fake encounters, I found a company here in San Diego that had great reviews and tons of corgis in their breeding program. Flash forward a few months and on July 25th, 2017 I received a text message saying my puppy had been born!
I spent the next eight weeks reading and preparing the best I could for this sweet boy to arrive. But, I definitely battled with myself constantly over whether or not this was a good decision. I knew I wanted him more than anything, but I was still in college and not making a ton of money. My worst fear was that he would get sick and it would be very expensive at the vet. I stuck with the decision to adopt him and on September 23rd, he was mine!
24 hours after I picked him up, my worst fear had come true. I got him on a Saturday and when we woke up Sunday morning, I could tell something was wrong. He was barely moving, throwing up, and had diarrhea. I took him to the vet and my sweet, little love was huddled in a corner so so sick. He was diagnosed with Giardia (an intestinal parasite) which is common in dogs and cats but since he was so young, his immune system wasn’t developed enough to fight it easily. He was put on medication and we were to test him again in two weeks. Usually, it takes an animal one round of this and they are healed. Well.. Cash ended up being sick for three months. It was the most stressful, draining months of my life and sometimes I feel really robbed of enjoying him as a small puppy because I was constantly drained. I ended up moving off the boat and back in with my family so I could have the emotional support I so desperately needed. I remember right before Christmas, he got tested after another round of medication and I told myself I would wait to call the vet until after the holiday so I could enjoy Christmas with my family and not be stressed. The holiday passed, the vet called, and said the words I honestly never thought I would hear: “Cash is clear!” I was so happy, I literally cried and hugged him at the same time for at least an hour.
Thankfully, since then he has been healthy! He has become my entire world and I truly love him with every single ounce of my being. He’s learned to love the water, the boat, and the beach. All he wants to do always is chase the sand and jump into the water. He loves to sleep in the corner of the couches and on his bean bag on the boat. His favorite person (besides me) is my dad. He will literally eat anything but his favorite treat is cheese. If I could go back in time, I would tell my poor, college self that she probably should not get a dog at this point in her life. Wait until you are financially stable lol. That being said, I have not once regretted adopting him.
Three years later and I seriously cannot imagine my life without him. He has brought me so much happiness and I hope that I always give him the best life possible.
Happy birthday, Johnny Cash. You are my best boy.
-L