I'm 26 years old and have had dogs most of my life. Dogs are a special kind of being that are unlike anything else that understand us humans in a different way. I'm the parent of a ~7-8 year old sweetheart of a rescue golden retriever who currently lives back home with my single dad. I've had her since college (5 years) and caring for her has been so rewarding. I'm not sure what she has been through before our time with her but she was extremely timid and jumpy. She's gotten much better and it's a wonderful feeling to give love to an animal like that that might not have gotten it otherwise. Also, our 2 year old chocolate lab who was the BEST friend of my wife and I recently passed away. Our hearts have been crushed. It has been one of the most difficult things we've ever been through. Dogs are wonderful animals and I now feel that it's a mission of mine to pass along the love and care to others since I can no longer give that to my own. Their lives are obviously much shorter than ours and just like people, it's important to cherish all the moments and not take them for granted because they won't last as long as we'd like.