You’re either a pet person or not. If you are, you’re usually either a dog person or a cat person. We are dog people plus.

I’ve had a dog nearly my whole life. And they have each had a special place in my heart. They were each amazing in their own way and they were each very different. Each time we’ve lost a dog, we swear we won’t get another one–and then we do. And now we have two. My husband is a softie and a friend of his usually has dogs that people have dumped near his property in the outlying area of Phoenix. We went “just to look.” My first clue that we weren’t just “looking” was stopping at PetsMart on the way and buying a kennel, a lead, and a collar. That just doesn’t scream “looking” to me. So we brought that dog home. We have since added another rescue dog. I’m not quite sure how someone could have given this dog away because she is the sweetest dog we’ve had.

We have also ended up with two parakeets. They may have names, but they “belong” to my husband. I just feed and water them. I vaguely recall him calling them Ben & Jerry (but I try to block that so it doesn’t make me think of ice cream).

And finally, we have a African grey parrot. This is truly an interesting experience. She is sweet (if she likes you) and can be a little mean (if she doesn’t), but she is an amazing bird. She does talk and says things like “wanna go outside” (to harass the dogs), “time for night night,” “give me a kiss,” and “thank you” when you do. My husband is working feverishly to get her to say “Corvette,” but she’s not budging on that one yet.

As crazy as it gets sometimes worrying about pets and making arrangements when you want to go out of town, the unconditional love received from each one of them makes it worth it. They, of course, do have things that make me crazy–like when Libby escapes and we have to chase her down, or when Ruby chews up every piece of Post-It notes she can find, or when Smokey barks like one of the dogs is outside when we think they are inside, or when the parakeets screech to remind me they need water–but all in all, they are way easier to take care of than most living things, like children.

They each of their very own distinct personality and they each are very much a part of our family.