6 Answers

All my dogs and cat's have impacted my life. When I was a child pets were not treated like family. They all had to stay outside and were mostly ignored.  It seemed like every time I got close to a dog it would be hit by a car, run away or be given away. The dog I remember most from my childhood was my dachshund Lisa. We were living in Austin and we didn't have a fence so she killed several of the neighbor's chickens. My mom and adopted dad couldn't afford to put a fence up so they said we had to get rid of her. I begged them to let her stay, but they said no. My mother wrote a letter with information about my dog, taped it to her back and then dropped her off in an alley a few blocks away.  To this very day I wonder what happened to her.

 I've had a couple of cats (both adopted from the pound) and a few dogs over the past 3 decades and they have all been inside animals and treated like royalty, they were my sweet babies and I miss all of them.

Ernie, my dachshund taught me that a dog DOES remember and DOES get his revenge (an interesting story for another time).  Burt the Bird showed me that a person and a little parakeet can relate to each other! Penelope, my dachshund/terrier mix taught me that devotion for a lifetime IS possible (she lived past 17, 119 in human years).  Peanut has shown me that change is possible.  Dieszal, my son's dog who has lived with ME for four years and had lived with my mother a year before that, and Ashley, Darrell, Sophie, and Bruce (my dogs who I was not able to care for in their final years, though they were in a comfortable and safe place with my youngest son, who has my never ending thanks for the care and love he gave them) have taught me to NEVER have a pet I can not commit to care for its whole life.  

 Ben and Timmy were our mates for a lot of years,the taller one is Ben, he is a pure bred,the shorter one is Tim,,Ben lived to 12 years and was put down with cancer,,Timmy lived for 11 years and was put down with cancer.the number plate on my car is BEN,,Did they impact our lives,,?????.. in the greatest way possible..the stories and memories last forever.and our 2 mates will never be forgotten...>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<

I had a black lab named: Montgomery. If told to shake, he would have body spasms.  When he passed people at my job turned off all of their work lights......

I got the first cat I ever had in my whole life after my husband died, almost 15 years ago. He was a copper colored   short haired Tabby name Tigger. I didn't think I liked cats, but I needed something to keep me company and to keep me from going nuts. I found out that cats give you a  lot of love and want to be with be with you. A few months later, I got his sister , Molly, ---a white female with a black patch over her eye and a little black round patch on her back, and a black tail. They came from the same mother cat, but came from two different litters. A friend of mine gave me both of them. Tigger was  2 1/2 or 3  months when I got him. Molly was only   ONE month when I got her. She was so little ! But, she was eating soft food and using the litter box so I took her. My mom used to say, " My , those cats have been such a blessing for you "  

I didn't want a 3rd cat, but back in ' 08, Willow came into my jungle in my back yard, and into my life and heart. She is a buff and gray DSH cat. She and Molly don't like each other. Willow is sweet to Molly, but Molly always thought SHE was queen of the house.

I've had a lot of fun with them. But, last Oct, Tigger had to be put to sleep .....with kidney failure :'-(

Yes, I had a German Shepard, 'Max', he was my buddy.  I could tell some scary things about my dog Max, AFTER he died.  I talked to an animal mind reader, she was on the  Johnny Carson show in the 70's, I talked to her on the phone, she called me!  Frightening things she told me, things that max and i had done together that nobody else knew.  I recorded the conversation.  

Max was in a parade, he was killed when a horse in front of him got spooked and kicked him in the head. He died instantly.   Max changed my life.

country bumpkin

None of my business, but I would love to know what she told you.