Ever since I was three years old I have always loved animals. My mom constantly tells me that animals love me and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. I am just an animal person. I connect with them and they connect with me. When I am contacted with an animal, I attend to their needs and make sure they get spoiled.
I remember the first animal I remember seeing. He was my grandpâ’s dog, Jigger, a mix breed. He intrigued me so much and I remember always wanting to be around him. I think it was also because he was such a smart dog, my grandpa trained him very well and he loved to swim, fetch and play. I remember one time I even tried to ride him like you would ride a horse because I was so small and he was so big, he was my companion. As I grew older, Jigger passed away. I was dying inside for a while but I understood at the age I was, that he has was old. I told myself I would keep my goal of becoming a veterinarian because I wanted to know how to keep animals from dying so that no one else had to feel hurt by the loss of a loved pet. As a kid, I didn’t grasp the concept that growing old and dying was just another part of life.
I got another dog when I was about seven years old. We adopted him from a shelter in Escanaba, and I named him Buddy. He wasn’t a very smart dog but I loved him. We had him for about a year, if I can remember and had to get rid of him because he bit my brother. I was so sad. I remember telling him goodbye when he was in my garage because you know the law, if a dog bites an animal you must put it down. I didn’t know he had to die at the time and I am glad, I think that it was for the best. My dad told me that he was going to take Buddy to a man who owned a big field where Buddy could run free, it made it easier for me to let him go knowing he was somewhere that he could be happy.
Taco was my best friend for about ten years. He was the best. I got him from my band teacher when i was in second grade. Taco and I made plenty of memories, of course, and he was my family. I can still hear his bark when I think about somebody knocking on my door. He would go ballistic at the sound of that door being knocked on.
This past summer I started volunteering at the humane society walking dogs. I walked passed the cages and noticed every animal I encountered with was beautiful. There was one dog, however, that I was drawn too. In other words, I didn’t even think about going to his cage, I just went. His wide face greeted me as he rubbed against the cage to get lovins. I looked up towards his description paper and the sign said that his name was Baby Boy, the same exact nickname I used for Taco. I thought that it was meant to be. I walked him and I told myself that I would make sure that I would get this dog. I would do whatever it takes.
Weeks went by, and I continued walking him every other day when the Copper Country Humane Society was open. I could tell by the way he greeted me when I saw him that he remembered who I was and was happy to see me. I even bought him some toys and brought them to the shelter so that he could play with them and have a little part of me there with him for when I couldn’t be there with him. The day I brought the toys to him I couldn’t get a ride to the shelter from Houghton, near the Houghton Elementary School, so I decided that I was going to walk to the humane society and deliver him them toys and bring him for a walk, and I did!
My boyfriend and I heard through the grape vine that someone was trying to adopt our Baby Boy and we knew that we could not let this happen, so we began fostering him at his house and Baby Boy was so happy to be home you could just tell.
Finally, after weeks of waiting, the adoption papers were signed today and Baby Boy is not going anywhere away from me anymore. He is going to be with me until the darn day that he gets old and passes on into the doggy heaven where Jigger and Taco are now. I am so happy to have my wonderful Pit bull stinker-bob, this is a dream come true. THANK YOU Copper Country Humane Society. You helped me find my love.
-Betsy Stromer