Hey guys, sorry for making my brief so long! my name is Felix I’m 20, and this is my journey which led to my passion for dogs: Poverty paralyzes the faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills-self reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages Initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages Procrastination and makes self-control impossible. Where does a socially starved child go to find love in such a cruel world? I went to the streets to find dogs… My first dog: I was walking home from elementary school on a hot, sunny day. I took a different route than I usually take and saw a pit tied up in the alley way. With excitement I ran towards him and started playing with him. As I was getting up to leave a guy came out of the corner and asked “do you want him?” I said “what?!” And then he said “do you want the dog?” I was 10 and thought that everyone who had a dog was rich. I thought they cost millions of dollars! but here is a guy asking me if I want a beautiful dog. I was completely speechless.. I replied, “You're lying, you're not giving me this dog for free?!” he then said “do you want him or not?” I will never forget the feeling of untying him off that pole and walking away with him. On my way out of the alleyway I shouted “ I’m taking him!..” “I’m walking awayyyy!…” hoping he’d break character. I got home and I was extremely excited, reminiscing about the future with my first dog! Thankfully my mom wasn’t home yet, so I had to think of a way to convince her to let me keep him. His name was Pete, because he was white and had a brindle patch on his eye like “Pete” from the little rascals. Then my mom came home.. I couldn’t hide him because he was too big so I had no choice but to reveal him, she immediately started running away. I'm a first generation African American, meaning my mom didn’t grow up with “pets” . It wasn't the norm to have an animal as a companion- to them it was abnormal. I couldn’t stop laughing as Pete chased her around the house but my mind immediately retreated back to the fear of losing my first dog. I gave her all the benefits of having a pet and pleaded to her that I will take care of him! including the part that they’re very good with Kids Note* I have 9 siblings; being 10 and poor I didn’t have anyone else to help me raise a dog. Which came with tragic consequences. I did not know Pete’s background beyond the alleyway and when I found it was too late. Pete was abused by his previous owners… One day I was walking him and met a friend who had a couple friends over and there was a girl who started taunting Pete. He immediately turned into a different dog, launching at her. Being 10 years old with a 100+ pound pit, I was practically a toy to him, he dragged me and bit her wrist… breaking it. I eventually got him off, but they called the police. Out of shock and fear of losing him I ran away from the scene. The police searched for me and Pete for a week. I didn't tell my mom because I was scared of losing him, It was just me and him Vs the world we did everything together! He never lied, hit or cheated me, he loved and played with me even when he had no dog food! A true companion he was. Finally the police went to my elementary school. I came home from school searching everywhere for him, but couldn't find him, I didn’t think of it as a big deal beliving my mom finally grew accustomed to him and took him out. I sat in the chair and waited for her to come home. At the instant of hearing the back door open I ran to her in excitement ready to hug my dog but she walked in alone, I asked “where Pete was?” and she replied “the shelter came and got him” I didn't even get to say goodbye to him! I begged them to take me to see him, but they never did. Two months passed and the shelter finally called, breaking the news that they had to put him down because he was sick. It felt like my whole world had just collapsed. I begged my mom to tell them he wasn’t sick. He just misses me but she wasn’t a big fan of dogs from the beginning, I still remember sitting on the stairs crying. I couldn’t control those youthful ocean of tears. A feeling that if I reflect upon for too long still impacts me till this day. Something birthed in me to possess that feeling of an unconditonal companion. That led to me finding 9 more dogs. If I wrote you guys a story about each of them, this would be a literal chapter book. So I will give their names, if you would like to know about each of them feel free to reach out Here are their names: Ava,Teddy, Blanca, Snowy, Princess,Teddy, Sasha, Ezekiel and Milo Some passed away, some were rehomed, and some were taken by the shelter. I found myself in a world that pushed me to search for love in broken places. If life is the greatest teacher then I had to understand that I was my own boss. I learned not to bring or leave things in places that lack the resources to give them value, Especially special creatures like dogs. I recently just moved to northwest Arkansas with my 3 legged french bulldog (Saqkou). He has a life I could’ve only dreamt of giving my other dogs. With this heart posture your best friend is in the best hands! Thank you for reading!