A Girl's Best Friend

Four years ago, around the height of the pandemic, one of my childhood dreams came true; we finally got a dog. It was one of the happiest nights of my life, picture this: it was 11PM during a hot April night, my dad just got home from paying a visit to his parents, and he had a 2-month old puppy with him. It was one of the most stupefying moments of my life, seeing this little white ball of fur with him, and as my dad let her down to go around and greet us, she hid under the couch. We all laughed and coaxed her out, and gave her a bunch of pets and food. She eventually warmed up to us, and the rest was history.

Now, this is where it gets interesting; a month later, we surprisingly get another dog! By this time, our first puppy was already very comfortable with us, and I was absolutely in love with her. I was willing to do everything and anything for her, literally, which was crazy because I didn’t think I could ever feel this way over an animal. With a new addition to our little fur family, I was nothing short of excited, especially because our little ball of fur was gonna have another friend with her. Enter Bruno; our dachshund-lhasa apso angel. Immediately, he was everything to me, and for Ainya - our first puppy - too. They got along well like they were each other’s missing puzzle pieces, and life at our house has never been dull since.

Around 2 months after getting Bruno, I started to notice odd things: he was losing his appetite, he wasn’t as active as he was before, and his stool was an indication that there might be something wrong with him. During this period of time, my family wasn’t in the best place; being quarantined at home meant my OFW father wasn’t able to leave for work, and our savings were running dangerously low. What got my parents to talk again after weeks was me telling them they had to rush Bruno to the vet because I was thinking there was seriously something wrong with him. As they came home from the vet, my mom met me with sad eyes and told me Bruno had parvovirus, which was a virus seen in dogs that could possibly lead to their demise. To say my heart broke was an understatement; I was absolutely crushed. Add that to the fact that we barely had any money with the pandemic still at its peak, it seemed like at that moment, there was no chance for Bruno to get the treatment he needed. Luckily, I still had left over funds since I recently celebrated my 18th birthday and a few relatives sent me money. I was gonna use that money for something else I’ve been saving up on, but I didn’t really care at that point; I just wanted Bruno to get better.

The next few days were literal hell for us; my parents and my sister were all constantly crying, cooing at Bruno. They kept telling him that he can “let go” if he can’t handle the pain anymore, and it was like I was being tortured over and over again. So, I instead became a pillar for my family at the time, someone they can rely on during this hard and difficult time. I was the one who kept reassuring them of Bruno’s full recovery, and that nothing bad will happen to him. Even so, I still had moments alone where I was in absolute despair over everything; the ongoing pandemic, my dog being sick, and other personal problems I had. The fact that Bruno was at risk of passing away was the worst part.

I never imagined just how important Bruno would be to me even though it’s only been a few months since we got him. In a short amount of time, he’s become one of my constants in life; always keeping me happy whenever I feel down, and a comforting presence for nights when I am most lonely. Losing him would mean losing a part of myself, and I wasn’t ready for that. Seeing the people around me in absolute shambles over this puts me in a difficult position, which is why I chose to be their shoulder to cry on.

Luckily, through the grace of God, Bruno recovered and hearing the good news is still one of the best moments of my life. The relief I felt was astonishing; for the first time in a week, I felt like I could breathe properly. Through Bruno’s recuperating period, I was with him through every step of the way. By the end of the week, he was fully recovered and healthier than ever. I could finally be at peace with that chapter of my life.

Post-parvo Bruno was a cathartic moment in my life that made me appreciate my two dogs more; I realized I wouldn’t want to be apart from them any time soon, which is why I took extra care of them whenever my time permits me. Both Bruno and Ainya have become so important in my life that I can’t imagine how I would be without either one of them. I guess it’s true what they say when a dog is a man’s best friend, because it surely is that case for me, Bruno, and Ainya.