Not too long ago, I lost my dog, Enzo. This isn’t the first time I’ve lost a dog. Sometimes they’ve come back. Other times, I’ve lost them forever. And yet, I never thought I could lose Enzo. To me, he’s eternal. He’ll always be by my side.
I can’t even begin to describe the shock his absence caused me. I spent three days looking for him. From the moment I woke up until nightfall, I would walk around my neighborhood shouting his name. My poor neighbors can attest to that. Posters were put up everywhere. Seeing how distraught I was, strangers decided to help me look for him. I witnessed a beautiful outpouring of solidarity that moved me deeply.
Sometimes we don’t realize how important these little furry creatures are to our family—until the day their absence is felt. Then we feel lost and vulnerable. That’s what happened to me. My 3-year-old kept telling me he’d come back, and I’d reassure her, even though deep down I was so worried I’d stopped believing it myself. She’d shout his name at the top of her lungs while keeping a smile on her face, convinced that all she had to do was call him and he’d come running back. I envied her innocence.
After three days, I received the long-awaited call. A young woman was at the SPCA with my best friend. Because of COVID-19, she came to bring him directly to my house. The few minutes that passed between the call and her arrival felt like an eternity.
The whole family was so happy to have him back safe and sound. Since then, I’ve been taking even better care of him. I show him even more how much he means to me. And he, well, he’s just his usual self. He spends days in bed with me because he knows I’m not feeling well. He follows me everywhere in the house when I’m alone because he knows full well that I’m scared. He listens to me when I need to cry a little, and sometimes he even answers me. Yes, yes, I’m telling you! He’s a husky, so he likes to chat with me from time to time.
Today, I’m fully aware of how important it is to have him by my side.
So, if your best friend is an animal, post a photo of them in the comments. Let’s pay tribute to these little creatures who, even though they don’t speak the same language as us, sometimes understand us better than other humans do.