Never have I been able to understand why some people get very up in arms over others calling their dogs (or pets in general) their babies. For one thing, why should it matter to anybody else? Secondly, dogs truly can be like a baby to someone. They can have the intelligence of a three year old human, so what makes them so non-baby-like? Personally, my dog is not just a baby to me... he has wiped my tears, enjoying fun times with me, and even gives me back-sass occasionally.

Humans and dogs have coexisted for centuries. Known to be "man's best friend", dogs have a certain sense that allows them to connect on a different level with us; their instincts allow them to read us as their ancestors read otherslong ago. What turns out to be pretty amazing is that dogs express their feelings to us, too. They show love, sadness, fear, excitement, anger, and even question us with their expressions and body language (although some of our furry companions like to vocalize too!). For this reason, dogs make amazing service and therapy animals.

What I find to be amazing about dogs is their loyalty. They don't care about drama or who said what; they just love and want to be loved. The genuine feeling of trust and adoration that exudes from them when looking at family just shows how pure their intentions. Dogs do not lie or give false hopes, they just love.

My dog is a rescued Black Labrador and he is by far the most emotional and expressive dog that I have ever met. When my husband found him at the shelter, he was the only dog who was huddled up in the corner of his cage, heartbroken. He had been purchased from a breeder by a family, and then turned over to the pound at only four months old, because he had "grown too quickly" (don't even get me started on that- how do you not expect a Labrador to grow?). My husband asked to see him, hesitant at first because he was such a shy puppy, and they instantly fell in love. The girl working at the shelter picked him back up, and he became frantic and tried to get down and run back to my husband. The rest is history, and four years later we still have the furriest baby ever. Together we have shared grief, fun times, cuddle days, and even the happiest day of our life (he was our ring bearer).

If you are one of the people that don't consider dogs equal to children to their owners, I hope that you reconsider your opinion. Regardless if you do, people like me will always be there to remind the world that our pets are in fact our babies.