Growing up, I had anywhere from 9 to 15 pets at one time. My family has always had dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, and at one point in time, a turkey (which actually belonged to a neighbor, but who spent all of his time at our house – waiting for us kids to get off the bus from school to play with him). Naturally, I am an animal lover – and more importantly, because of how I was raised – I consider pets to be part of the family. Currently, my parents have replaced myself and my siblings (since we are no long living at home) with two dogs. Whenever any of us brings home one of our dogs, my parents call them the grandogs, and lovingly babysit and dot on them.
Also, while all of my pets are important to me (I myself currently have a dog, a cat, and two horses) I consider one of my horses to be my true “soul mate” in life. People in the horse world often say that every rider has a “once in a lifetime horse” just as people refer to human soul mates. I luckily found this horse when I was 10 years old. She was a Thoroughbred off of the race track, and we have been inseparable since my parents bought her for me. We truly understand each other. And, as odd as it might sound to others, I have measured every relationship I’ve had (since buying her) with the one I have with her – including friendships and romantic relationships with men. Nobody compared – that is, until I met my fiancee.
Basically, pets are essential to my life – just as friends, family, and lovers are. They embody every aspect of each of these.