Lately, I've been thinking a lot about everything I've been through with my dog, and inside I just have so much to say, so many things I want to get out, and I figured this is the perfect place for that. The perfect place to say exactly how much my dog means to me, and to have people understand and possibly share the same feelings with their animals.

So this is the story of how my dog, Diesel, saved my life and turned it around.

I grew up wanting to be a Vet, like a lot of kids who loved animals. My family always had cats and dogs, and we always treated them like family. We moved a lot, and we'd always take our pets with us, it was never even a question. Over time, and through a lot of loss of self confidence, I decided I couldn't ever actually be a Vet. I wasn't smart enough, I wasn't driven enough, it would never happen. I fell into a deep depression when I was about 18 years old. I was in a 4 year abusive relationship, I was disconnected from my family, and living with a different guy that I was 'seeing', just to feel something.

When I was 19, I was at my lowest point. I had just ended the 4 year relationship, and was trying to find a way out of this "relationship" I had with this other guy, but he was taking care of me, and at the time, I thought I needed it. I decided to do the worst thing you can do in my low situation, and I adopted a dog. Very spur of the moment. I was at work, called a friend, and asked her to go adopt this dog for me. I hardly knew what he looked like, I didn't read his bio, all I knew was he was 1/2 jack russel and 1/2 whippet, and I loved whippets.

She picked him up for me, and I fell in love at first sight. He was the cutest thing, the happiest dog I had ever seen. I knew at that moment, that this dog was going to change my life, and I just cried. I have no idea why, I just felt like this was something different, not just an owner and her dog.

I had no idea what I was getting into, though. Like I said..I didn't really read his bio. I knew he had just gotten over parvo, and that he was about 4 months old, and he was abandoned on the side of the highway in a box. Other than that, nothing. They gave me a revolution packet and told me to use it on him because he had a 'slight flea infection' that was APPARENTLY causing him to lose hair. Well a few weeks later, when he had no hair, I decided to take him into the vet. Turns out he had demadex, severely, as a result of his weakened immune system from parvo. And it didn't stop there. I had adopted the sickest dog I could.

He went through parvo, demadex, pancreatitis, anaphylactic shock (twice), and one luxating patella surgery. I went through months of ups and downs, in and out of the emergency vet, in and out of the regular vet. I was focusing so much on him, and I wouldn't give up. Here I was, 20 something years old, working a part time job as a server, and I was pouring every single penny I had into this dog. I was told I was crazy, that I should take him back, that I should find someone else for him, but I knew I couldn't. He was just as sick as me, just physically. We both were, and we needed each other. From the day I met him, even though he was sick all the time, he was never comfortable, he was ALWAYS there for me. So how could I let something who couldn't help himself, but did all he could to help me, not get the help he needed? I picked up every shift I could, I bought everything he needed, and when he got his luxating patella surgery, I left my job (probably not the best move..but it all worked out), just to be by his side for his 2 month recovery.

When this was all over, and through the entire process, I realized how much I had helped him. When he couldn't walk, and was stuck in a cage, at night he'd whine. All I had to do was pick him up and lay him next to me, and he'd sleep. I was over come with love and responsibility for this dog. I wanted to do better for him, so I got my act together. I left him at my parents house for a year while I got my life on track. I got a full time job, my own place, and I'm enrolling back into school for Veterinary Medicine.

I couldn't have done any of this without my dog, Diesel. I don't think I would've ever regained so much confidence and love for someone else without him. At the end of the day, no matter what has happened, I can just say his name and he'll be right next to me on the bed and love me for everything and anything I've done. Dogs are so amazing. All animals are.

Sorry if this was poorly written, I'm not a great writer. I have so much to say, I'm horrible with words and putting it all out there.