Every Second I Can Have

We adopted Preston when he had just turned 1. My husband suggested that we have a pet when we got married on our first year. I didn't have a job that year.He didn't want me to be by myself at home when he went to work. I thought about the idea of adopting a pet for the first time, but it wasn't an easy decision to make. It took me a long time to really want to do something like this. There's a lot to think about when you have a pet. To have a pet is like having a child that you have to take good care of. What drove me to make my decision was my husband's suggestion to not be by myself.

Today was the day that I made up my mind about adopting Preston. So I go to the animal shelter that was close to my house. I go inside and I start walking and I see so many cute dogs. All the dogs are very excited and they bark a lot. I want a small dog, but not too small. I keep looking around, maybe I'll see one that gets my attention. I keep walking and looking. I don't want a dog that barks a lot. I don't want a dog with a lot of fur.

I see Preston laying down on his cot. He's brown and small and has hazel eyes. I think he's cute, especially since he's quiet. So far, I really like him. I keep walking and still looking. I go around and see the same dogs again. The dogs won't stop barking and it's making me nervous now. I stop and I want to see Preston again, but he's not laying on his cot. I think he's outside walking around or taking care of his business. I see the little door where he can go in and out of his kennel. I felt a pinch in my heart when I didn't see him. I was having a good feeling about him already. I walk around the shelter again and I stop to see him. He's not laying on his cot, but now walks toward me when I call him. Preston is looking at me and wags his tail. He seems to be a little scared.

I wanted his name to be Preston because that is my husband's middle name. I thought it was a cute name for my first dog. I take a picture of him and send it to my husband so he could see how adorable Preston is. My husband wanted the adoption to be my decision. He wanted me to be happy. I go to the office to pay for his adoption. I'm coming back to see Preston again when my husband is off from work. My husband and I are going to see Preston today and finalize his adoption. Now we have to wait a few days so we can finally come and take Preston home with us.

Today we go and buy Preston everything that he needs. Potty training will not be hard because we have a little door that goes out to the backyard. We finally bring Preston home and let him go everywhere in the house so he can explore. From that moment our adventures with Preston start. Potty training was not a piece of cake like I thought. We trained him to use pads inside the house. And finally he got used to going out the little door. We didn't get him enough toys to play with because he was chewing up the walls. My husband had to patch up a lot of walls when we moved out of that house. One night I left my plate on the table with a good steak. When I came back my steak was gone. Preston chewed up my new headphones one time and I was very upset. Bedtime has always been the best. We got Preston so many beds over the years. He only sleeps on them when we're not home. His favorite bed is our bed. When he was a puppy I wrapped him up in his blanket. Now, before he goes to bed he comes to me and lets me know that he wants to go under the blanket.

It's been eight great years that Preston has been with us. We've been through so much, and we're still going through a lot today. Preston has always been there for me, especially when I have been very sad in my life. There have been times when I haven't been able to spend much time with him because of work. Thinking about Preston has kept me going. I never gave up on my promise to give him a better life. Today I can work from home and be with Preston. I'm very happy that I followed my heart when I adopted him. He always wants my attention no matter what I'm doing. He follows me everywhere I go. The best part is at night when he sleeps. Watching him sleep makes me happy. At the end of each day, I am able to give him everything that he needs. Preston lets me know that he is happy. If I had another chance, I would do it all over again, because every single moment that I can have with Preston is worth it.