When I woke up in the morning of June 10th, it was overcast and humid. I came out of my room and saw my family huddled around our family dog, Opal. I was terrified. Things hadn’t been the same since we found out that she developed cancer two weeks earlier. She was in terrible pain and could barely move. After talking, we knew what we had to do. As much as it hurt me, we called the vet and said our goodbyes. I bawled my eyes out for weeks, and I still haven’t fully recovered. It’s always hard to lose a loved one, and this time it hurt a lot. After months of mourning our loss, we knew we needed another dog in our lives. Dogs bring out the best in us and bring all of us so much joy. 

After a few more months of research, we found a little guy who looked perfect for us. He was a tiny little Sheepadoodle, a mix of a poodle and a sheepdog. We scheduled a day to meet him, and now all we had to do was wait. 

As I sat at my desk, I glanced up at the clock. 2:25. It was my 6th period of the day, history, and my Mom was on her way to pick me up. I handed my teacher my slip and headed to the office. She picked me up, and we were off to San Antonio. It had been 6 months since we lost our last furry friend, so today was a very special day. Today was the day I was going to meet my new best friend. 

The drive to the outskirts of San Antonio was a pretty quick one, only about an hour-and-a-half, but it felt like a lifetime. A couple stops at the gas station and one Dr. Pepper Float from Sonic later, we drove down a little dirt road, and eventually arrived at a large house in the middle of nowhere. We stepped out and were greeted by a woman who led us to a little barn on her property. After some talking, she went into the barn and came out with an adorable black and white puppy. After hours of playing and meeting the puppy, we went home to make a decision.

About a week later, I woke up early on a sunny Saturday morning. I put on my gear and went to the car. I had a baseball tournament today, but that’s not what was on my mind. After a long day of baseball and anticipation, I came home to the cutest puppy I had ever seen. I took a shower, and then ran outside to meet my new best buddy. He was perfect for us. Although it hurt a lot to lose our last dog, this new guy was all we could ask for.

After about a year with our dog, Archie, we’ve had our ups and downs. Through his stages of puppyhood and teething, to his first birthday and his first vacation, it’s been a wild ride. However, one thing is for sure. He’s a great dog who is always going to be there for me.