I had always heard about people losing their pets and I would feel so heartbroken even though they weren't mine. I would always hold my dog closely and I hoped I never had to go through that pain. 

    I still remember the day I went to go pick her up. I had been begging my mom for a dog and my wish finally came true. I spent the previous days trying to think of a name and Lexi felt perfect to me. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. Throughout the years of having her my love always grew deeper. I treated her like my own daughter and my whole family knew how much she meant to me. She was such a special dog, and my family adored her.  

    I know that pets are dependent on their owners, but I depended on her so much. I've had a lot of terrible days and she always gave me comfort at the end of the day. She was always so happy to see me, and she made me feel so loved. Every single night I would come home to her waiting in my bed, and she would roll over so I could rub her belly. I looked forward to coming home to her. 

    Sadly, two weeks ago on Memorial Day one of my worst fears came true. Someone left the front door open, and she ran out of the house. My little brother told me she was outside, so I went to go get her. On my way outside I heard a dog whimpering, and I didn't think much of it. I got outside and there was a woman standing in front of my house saying that a dog just got hit by a truck. In that moment my heart dropped, and I knew that it had to be Lexi. The whimpering had stopped by this time, and I walked toward the street where I saw her laying. As soon as I laid eyes on her I started crying uncontrollably. 

    Losing her brought me so much pain and I still haven’t been able to feel better. I am so heartbroken, and I know that it will slowly get better but it doesn’t feel like it. To go through pain like this I really need her.  

    I believe that having a pet improves the quality of our life and makes us happier. The American Kennel Club has an article which says that " multiple studies show that dogs and therapy dogs help alleviate stress and anxiety. Besides helping with our stress, studies have shown that dogs also help us live longer and reduce our risk of cardiovascular conditions. I agree with both articles and see why. When I see dogs in public, I always get excited, and it improves my mood and that makes me have a better day. When I had my dog, I would always hold her, and it provided me with so much comfort. I never put much thought into it, but I now see how it can help with our hearts. Having a dog means we have to take them for walks so they can get some exercise in, and it also helps us. They give us a reason to be active and a walk a day can only help not hurt.