When I tell people the story of how we met, they think I saved you. They tell me how nice and wonderful I am, or how without me you'd be lost and starving somewhere on the streets. It's true that the people who had you before me were cruel. They left you alone, cold and hungry at the start of a cold winter. You were just a puppy, barely past six months old but so full of love.

The night I found you—the night we found each other—you ran into my legs with your pink tongue hanging out. You were nothing but bones and your beautiful blonde fur was dirty and coarse. All you needed was a warm house and a lot of TLC.

Maybe they're right, maybe I did save you, but to be honest, you saved me.

Last week, I remember locking myself up in my house and wrapping myself in every blanket I could find just to escape from the world. My spirits were lower than low and I felt like I was on the verge of tears from the kind of day I'd had. No one could make me feel better, in fact, I didn't even want to talk to anyone. So there I sat, in the dark and cursing the world for giving me more lemons than I could make into lemonade.

Then, I hear the high pitched squeak of that toy I bought you for your first Christmas and hear your paws patter on the carpet until you launched yourself onto my bed. You started digging into the blankets to lick my face and show me just how much you'd missed me since I left for class. Just moments ago tears were brimming but in a matter of seconds, all the bad thoughts melted away.

You know nothing but love, despite coming from people who didn't want you, when we met things just seemed right the first night you stayed in your new home. You jump around our home wanting nothing but to love and be loved. I feel so bad when I have to leave and I can hear you whine until you can't see me through the window and you're always patiently waiting for me to come home. It's so nice to know that there is someone at home who can't wait to see you.

Even the days where I can't bring myself to care about anything I can hear you whining to go outside and that's enough to bring me out of my dark place to care for you, and somehow, that makes me care for myself. You depend on me to feed you and love you, but I depend on you to give love that humans sometimes can't provide.

I'll do my best to be the best owner I can be for you. I love you. Thank you.