“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.” – Roger Caras –

All my life I’ve always been very familiar with dogs; they were always around our house. Eventually, I’ve grown to love them, and in return, they’ve always shown such loyalty. Growing up, I can remember how they always went with my father when he went to our rice farm, and at night, they were like the night-watchers, guarding the house and the family from unwelcome guests. Although sometimes, they could get very annoying, barking and barking all the time, but you’ll get used to it eventually. Over those years, I could only remember one dog in particular; his name was “Panther”. He was kind of brutal and protective, but he was an effective night-watcher and he was very close to my heart. He lived a long and fulfilling life, I supposed. The sad thing was he died due to old age, but I had to move on. Years passed, and we’ve adopted a lot of dogs; they just come and go really. Not until I finished college when I found a perfect puppy; his name is “Hamster”.

He is originally owned by my sister’s friend, Rica. When I first met him, he was that cute, little, short-tailed, brown puppy – about two months old. He was 6 inches small; he even fitted inside a tiny box. I spent the whole week with him in the city; every day I would let him drink his milk, I tidied him, and tucked him into bed every night. A week later, I took him home with me to my province, and my family loved him! The time we spent together was all unforgettable; we would play all day, I fed him, and at night he would settle on my tummy and sleep there. When I had to go back to the city, I left his custody to my parents.

He’s been with the family for almost three years now, and although we don’t spend more time together, we always have that special connection. Whenever I go home, he always welcomes me at our front gate, wiggling his tail; he’s always so excited to see me, always. I still play with him when I have time. The funny thing is, he’s kinda spoiled and he acts pretty abnormal compared to our other dogs. He’s very tame, he doesn’t try to wander when our gate was left open, and he likes to take baths a lot! Currently, we have more or less six dogs in the province; guess my parents are very fond of adopting dogs.

Hampster update:
Years have passed. It’s now 2024. I have long been traveling outside of the Philippines, so I seldom see Hampster. He is now very old, 13 years old. Over the years, some of his attitudes have changed, and he has become grouchier and more short-tempered. But he will always be that very small puppy Rica (God bless her soul and rest in peace) gave me. I’ve gone for years traveling out of the country, but still every time I go home, he still knows me. He still runs to the gate as soon as he sees me coming. He stands on his two back paws, and the front ones would hug me. At some point, I thought he would expire with a skin disease, but he survived it. My father, Papay, would bathe him and apply some antibacterial cream to him. He survived it. I also remember, in his younger years, Papay’s sister, Auntie Elen, would visit our house just to attend to Hampster and get rid of his lice. I’ve left the country again, and I’m not sure if when I go home he’ll still be there, but one thing is for sure: Hampster will always be one of my favorites.

Just recently, I got myself a puppy for my 25th birthday. It’s a big step for me, as I know that looking after and taking care of a dog alone is a significant risk, but I did it anyway. All for the love of dogs. So, I bought myself a puppy from my colleague (Cynthia) as a sort of birthday present for myself. She’s a purebred Maltese, four months old, covered with all white fur, so I named her “Snow”. Taking care of her is quite a big responsibility – from taking her to the vet for deworming shots, multivitamins, 5-in-1 shots for parvovirus, and anti-rabies, to walking her daily around the streets, and cleaning up after her. Not to mention providing her with suitable food, milk, vitamins, and dog accessories (toys, leash, clothes). But you know, at the end of the day, when I come home from work, she’s the first thing I look for, for some cuddle, and I say to myself – “All the efforts paid off, and more”.

I’ll never get over my fondness for dogs and how cute and loyal they are. Indeed, dogs are man’s best friend.
Special shout-out to Rica for giving me Hamster and to Cynthia for Baby Snow.

Snow update:
Snow lived with me in the city for a few weeks after I got her. Sadly, I had to bring her to my parents’ in the province. I wasn’t able to take care of her while I was working back then. She lived in my province for years. She was loved by my Mama and Papay. She was special. My parents would bathe her. Papay would brush her hair. They even allowed her to sleep in their room. Papay specifically loved her very much. They’d cuddle. Even when she got older, Papay loved her. One of her eyes had a cataract. She also got short-tempered and grouchier. Her fur also went brownish over the years and became thinner. But even so, the last time I saw her she still remembered me.

At some point while I was traveling around South America, Mama delivered sad news to me. Snow perished. She got run over by a vehicle and expired. I was sad; she was very special to me. She’s my favorite. I was also very sad because I know Papay was very sad too. I heard he buried her at the back of our house. She’s still with us even if it’s not physical. I know she lived a good life and was loved dearly.

Im not sure if I’ll ever get another dog; my wife is against it. She doesn’t like hair all over the place and the amount of attention pets need. Now I just pet other people’s dogs and appreciate it when I see cute ones walking around. I still think they’re man’s best friend, very loyal, loving, and just bring a ray of sunshine to anybody. I will always be a dog person.