I've been told that I'm obsessed with dogs. Which is pretty bad, considering that hubby and I are currently furchild-less. (Hopefully to change soon)
For me, animals are a type of salvation. I'm going back to school to become an ER or Lifeflight nurse. I work as a volunteer with youth that come from awful backgrounds of abuse and neglect. I see awful things and hear awful stories on a regular basis. And I can't let that get to me. If I broke down every time I heard about a fourteen year old girl being sexually assualted by a family friend and her parents doing nothing, I would never be able to function. While I feel the grief of the situation, it doesn't affect me. My ability to get through these situations is a blessing and a curse. I'm blessed because I can use it to make a difference, but I'm cursed because I end up feeling somehow dehumanized. People say that I must be heartless, that the plight of an abused dog will bring me to tears faster than the plight of a child. But they don't understand that my tears are for the dog and the child both. Helping animals in need is, for me, an outlet for the despair I work with on a regular basis. I can be free to feel the depth of emotions that I normally have to stifle. I can cry and be mushy and lose my ability to handle the situation. I love animals because they remind me that I'm human. And helping them lets me feel amotions that normally have to be hidden for the sake of getting through the day.
So for all those who have told me that I love animals more than I love people, just know that if I weren't able to love animals emotionally, I'd never be able to love practically. Besides, dogs make the bets listeners, the best cuddlers, and their goofy demeanors nver cease to remind me that the world is still a good place. (As long as there are lots of biscuits and balls to chase!)