Jessie

Kim and Jessie

While I have always been an avid cat lover, for 28 years I ignorantly viewed dogs as annoying, slobbery, simple animals. When I volunteered at the SPCA in college I spent hours tirelessly caring for the cats, but did anything I could to avoid contact with the dogs there. I wes convinced of my view that cats were superior and I never needed a dog in my life. That is, until the day, just over one year ago, that my husband and I innocently browsed a petshop in Denver, Colorado. I was completing an internship there, enjoying the spectacular scerery and adventure Colorado has to offer. I never before gave more than a passing glance at any dog and certainly had no intentions of finding a soulmate that day. However, this day I was magnetically drawn to the sparkling blue eyes of a dog from a shelter who was up for adoption. I can't explain the instant connection I felt with this dog and something told me I needed to adopt her. My husband, who is an avid dog lover, spent the weekend wondering what had gotten into me. I spent the weekend also waiting to come to my senses, but by Monday I was convinced, more than ever, that I needed to adopt this dog. Three days later we brought Jessie home, and I truly had no idea that day how much she would change my life. Jessie was a sled dog for 7 years, newly retired when we adopted her. She possessed an endearing combination of contagious energy and gentle sweetness. I truly feel that my heart has been opened to a special kind of love that I never knew existed before her. Now I admire dogs and their astuteness, loyalty, and intelligence. Jessie joined our lives in an exciting year and helped us experience the West, as we took her on camping trips to Yellowstone National Park, Utah, and she helped us reach our goal of climbing one of Colorado's famous 14,000 foot mountains. She is my encouragement to keep going when I feel like giving up, as I am reminded of the saying "help me be the person my dog thinks I am." She is lying by my side as a write this and I am amazed at the deep, inpenitrable bond that has been forged between us in just over one year. I look forward to many more and now will spend no more of my years without a special dog to enrich it!