It's my first summer without a dog being a member of the family. I miss my berry-picking Labrador retriever, Barney, my protective Australian shepherd, Davis, and my snuggly little beagles, Buddy and Daisy. Anyone who has tried to tell me, "It's just a dog. Stop acting like it's a human," has obviously never experienced the joy of sharing friendship with a dog. My Australian shepherd came into my life before my little brother did and lived to be 16 years old. How many friendships last 16 solid years? I love the memories I have of those fluffy members of our family. Davis showing up wild-eyed at the door every time he heard thunder. Buddy was the only dog we knew who was fast enough to not only chase rabbits but catch them. I remember singing lullabies to Barney to get him to go to sleep as a puppy, Daisy backing her little behind into the cats so that they couldn't swat her nose and the excessive excitement and celebration whenever one of us humans would come into view.

The truth is, I could never view a pet as anything less than part of the family. Sure, they require a lot of work, time and expense, but they give as much back as they know how to. Through pets, my little brother and I learned how to be responsible, how to care for those who can't speak up for themselves, how to complete tasks that are difficult or gross, how to find humor in life, and how to love without words. My little brother and I spent our summers with our dogs, and now we frequently say, "Hey remember when..." We look for an orange dog to come bounding over the hill after us. We listen for a bark at night, alerting us of approaching squirrels. We sigh wistfully at old pictures with the dogs smiling as big as us. Our dogs weren't just pets—they were family. We miss them like crazy. I'm so thankful my parents decided it was worth it to welcome animals into our family, and I can't wait for a time when I'll be able to welcome another dog into my heart and home.