She’s my person

Jennifer Vanderau
Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter

(10/2023) Some days I’m not sure how she could still love me. She tells me she does and I have no reason not to believe it, but my muzzle has turned so gray and it takes me time to get up to greet her at the door when she comes home from work.

We’ve been together since I was a young pup. The early days of "us" were so much fun. We would go to the dog park and she’d show me off like she was proud of me. I even heard her talking to people on the telephone about me and how much she loved me.

It took a while, but I began to realize those feelings were real. She was proud of me. And she loved me. Sometimes I couldn’t believe it, but it made me feel so warm inside.

I was her constant companion. When she got off work, we would go for our nightly walk – no matter the weather. She didn’t complain once, just put the appropriate "human wear" on so as not to get totally soaking wet if it was raining or freeze if it was snowing or sweat like a crazy person if it was hot.

She always took good care of me, made sure my paws weren’t too cold or hot and that I had enough water.

When we were done with our walk, it was dinner time for both of us. We would eat together and either watch something on TV or listen to music. Sometimes when we were finished, we’d even dance around together.

She talked to me about her favorite shows and when she couldn’t believe one of the characters did something. She cried at movies and told me why she was upset. She’d laugh out loud at some shows, too, like ones called Seinfeld and Friends.

She would take me on her annual vacations. She found a place that allowed dogs and we’d spend just about every day on this place she called the "beach." At first, the waves were something I couldn’t really figure out, but when I chased them, she would laugh, so I just kept doing it.

I love when she laughs at my antics.

She’s such an amazing person. I’m in awe that her hair is still the same beautiful auburn it was when we first met and she’s just as eager to go for a walk as she was at the beginning.

I wish I could say the same about myself.

My joints have started to ache and I can feel my age creeping up on me. Sometimes I wonder why we can’t grow old at the same rate. I’d love nothing more than to spend decades with her, making memories together.

We still take our beach vacations, but I’m slower getting down to our spot in the sand.

I try to walk for her each night, but I can’t go as far as I used to.

I know there will be a day – probably sooner than I’d like to admit – where I’ll have to say goodbye and the thought of not seeing her anymore just breaks my heart.

She told me one night when we were getting ready for bed about a place called the Rainbow Bridge. She says it’s a place where animals go when they can no longer exist on the earth. It’s a beautiful place where all the four-legged friends gather to wait for their humans.

I wanted so badly to talk right then because I wanted to ask why we had to be separated at all. Why couldn’t we spend all our days together?

But the Rainbow Bridge sounded like a real nice place. She said no animal is in pain there. No animal is old. They are all young and love to run and play – and I’d be same, nothing would hurt.

She told me to wait for her there. She said she’d be along and we’d be together again and we’d never let each other go ever again. We’d be together forever. She promised.

So I know it’s real.

She’s my person and I’m so lucky. I’m lucky to have known her and had her care for me. I’m lucky she loves me as much as she does.

I’m lucky we found each other that day so many years ago at the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter.

Jennifer Vanderau is the Publications and Promotions Consultant for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at cvascomm@cvas-pets.org. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.