In the wake of this election season stress and all the turmoil that’s come after, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what I can do to make change in our world. I thought to myself, well hey, I write. I need to keep on writing. This thought was reinforced when at the beginning of class last week, my creative writing professor reminded us that one of the most important things we have is the power of words. The world will always need stories.

So this week, I thought it might be a fun idea to offer stories about something else we all need in our lives: animals!!! I have compiled pictures and anecdotes about some of the pets in my friends’ and family’s lives. I hope they’ll make you smile.

1. This is Loki.

According to his mom, Lynn Cohen, "Loki doesn't subscribe to any gender roles so he was a pretty princess for Halloween." He thinks he's a lion, and once had his haircut and returned home half his original fluffy size. He looked like a stuffed animal. Lynn cried.

But Loki is loved, and he loves his family! I mean, check out the next photo. "He's literally smiling. There is a light in his eyes he was so happy to be going home!"

2. Nala

This next lovely doge comes to us from Adi Azoulai. She told me, " This is my beautiful dog, Nala! She always knows how to put a smile on my face. One of the funniest things she does is immediately flip over when someone comes near her because she wants a belly rub. If you stop rubbing her belly she'll start lashing around to get your attention. She's also a jealous little pup who will jump on people if they're showing affection to each other and not to her. I love my little Nala-baloo ❤️"

3. Cadbury

This is Cadbury, aka Cady, aka Cad. He's a rescue in the care of the lovely Dionne Rasquinha. Cady likes to play on the beach, and probably loves the chocolate he's named after, but he is not allowed to eat chocolate. He is super photogenic, whether he's posing in a dramatic portrait on the beach, or yawning in a candid.

Dionne says: "Cadbury has been a huge part of my life since the day I met him, while volunteering at Helen Woodward Animal Center. I remember not being able to leave his kennel to be with the other dogs because I loved him that much! I convinced my parents to come to "just see him" and we came home with a new addition to the family!! 😊 He's never failed to put a smile on my face, even when he was going through some rough times. He's the best dog I could ever ask for, and I really hope that he knows how much he is loved by everyone 💙"

4. Rip

This is Rip! He lives with Lucy in Texas. "Once, when he was a puppy, he caught a squirrel that he was chasing and was so confused that he caught it that he let it run away. It was the funniest thing!"

5. Chester

This is Chester. She lives with Will Axelrod. Will told me, "Chester had a diabetic episode so bad once the vet told us we were going to have to put her down. It was so hard me and my sister were crying like crazy because we were out of the country and the time so we thought we wouldn’t be able to say goodbye. The vet came in the next day with the syringe ready to put Chester out of her pain. And Chester was standing up again!

She had previously been lying on her side barely able to breathe. The vet was speechless. That was the summer going into my freshman year of high school (Will and I are both freshman in college now) and she is still kicking. She is beyond friendly, and just like me has kitty social anxiety! (She once scratched herself when another cat showed up in the neighborhood so badly she had a small bald spot for a time.)

All in all I love her. And hate nothing more than having to stick her with a needle twice a day.

7. Miya

This is Miya. She is, as you can see, Instagram famous.

Dani says, “Miya Louise is a huntress. She will deftly maneuver around any obstacle, be it plant, furniture, or man, to chase down any lizard or rabbit she sees. She is simultaneously the sweetest girl I’ve ever met; she loves raspberries on her tum (though she’ll never admit to it), she would rather drop a treat than bite the feeder’s fingers, and her favorite pastime is staring longingly at her humans so she can join them on bed, couch, or chair. Part pit bull and mostly chocolate lab, she has a very long snout, with an ever-working nose on the end, a gray beard surrounding her lips. And she will never be more excited than when she hears she’s going on a walkie, as that is when her sniffer gets the most use, there is potential to see lizards, and she’ll get a snack when she comes back for working so hard. Miya doesn’t know who donald trump is. She’s just looking forward to her next belly scratch.”

8. Caesar

This is Caesar. He lives with Javan and Lena. Caesar is the cuddliest old man you will ever meet, and always in need of a haircut. His bangs tend to get in his eyes. Sometimes he comes to stay at my house, and it is so so exciting!!!

Also, pictured above is Roy G. Biv! He looks like a miniature Caesar doesn't he? You can tell them apart by Roy's bowtie.

9. Pinky

My lovely doge, Pinkers!!!

Isn't she photogenic?

Pinky is a ridiculous creature who likes to sleep in human beds. In fact, she spends the vast majority of her time sleeping, when she's not begging to be cuddled, or chewing on a bone.

Pinky is adept at hiding herself beneath covers and emerging to surprise a person trying to get into bed.

But most of all, Pinky just wants to cuddle and remind us all to enjoy the little things in life. Like belly rubs.