My sister used to have a dog named Rusty. He was mostly a miniature Terrier, but he was the smartest and most human dog I have ever met. If he would see me playing with another dog, he wouldn’t look angry–no, he’d look at me with eyes that let me know just how much I had disappointed him. “You’re mine!” he seemed to be trying to say. “Why are you spending time with that other dog?” My mom kept a wonderful photo of him on her kitchen table. I nicknamed him “Rustoleum” after something my dad kept in the cellar that I never quite understood.
When the world is dark and work doesn’t go well and life overall is haywire, a pet, including dogs and cats, can put a smile back on your face. You walk in the door, and they don’t care if you’ve gained weight or got the boss mad or had a flat tire. They just love you. “I’m so glad you’re home!” they seem to be saying. “Spend time with me!” And they know just how to distract you from the cares of the day.