Essay #3 Contrast Essay

         For me a pet just isn't an animal.  You don’t just get one to have something cute in your house.  You get one because you want to take care of it.  They are are a part of your family.  Five years ago I decided to take on the responsibility of raising two dogs at once. They were just over the 8 week mark when I picked them up. Originally I had only planned on getting one, I was lucky to only get out with two.  I had the urge to grab up the entire litter of 8.  They were a litter of Pit Bull, Rottweiler mix.  Not purposefully, I chose the Brute of the litter, and the runt.  Already a difference in them.  Who would have known that the differences would only show more with time.  Their personalities, their looks, and their life experiences are what make each puppy their own selves.

         Some say a dog is what you make it, but I think animals initially have their own set personalities. When I arrived at the house where I was expecting to only buy one puppy I was attentive to the mannerisms these cute balls of fur already had instilled. Pelta was the first to run up to me with her tail wagging and her tongue ready to give those little puppy kisses. She was bigger than the rest.  Seven was more hesitant and hid behind the leg of a couch. She was unsure what to think of this large person making kissy noises at her. Pelta became the leader of the two. She's the first to get in the garbage, the first to greet visitors, and the first to climb in bed, even before me. The word “No” isn't always in her list of words to listen to. Seven's always a step behind watching her. She looks for my approval before joining her sister. Luckily this meant she never gained the habit of dumpster diving. She listens well, and always lets me get comfortable in bed before she hops up and climbs under the covers. They definitely set each other apart, but both gained my love.

      When it comes to their looks, they couldn't be more different.  Pelta has simple coloring. Her body is a light tan with highlights of darker shades running through her. Around her eyes and nose is black. Her eyes are a deep brown. She also has a black birthmark on her tongue. When she was just a puppy she was chubby and wrinkly.  People used to think she was part Shar Pei.  She grew into her body though, and her block head and slimming figure shows the Pit bull in her.  Seven is a grayish brown. Her face is tan and patterned so that she has a widows peek. Her chest is tan too so it looks like she's wearing a vest. Her eyes are hazel with brown specks. I’d say she’s got the Rottweiler patterns, but her block head and body build is definitely pit bull.  She also has a black birthmark on her right leg.  If I wasn't there to pick them out from the same liter, I would never have known they are sisters.

         What life experiences can a dog really have?  Well, my two girls have been through a lot.  When they were 6 months old they ran off in the woods.  The snow was 8 feet high and they were small enough that they could glide on the top thin layer of ice.  It took us 2 days to find them.  This was just the beginning for them.

         I think I jinxed Seven when I gave her the name.  It was only a matter of weeks after she returned home from the woods that she was then hit by a car.  Her femur was broken, and luckily it was repairable.  That didn't stop her, she still played and was happy.  Then a year later she tore the ligament in her knee.  While she was healing from that surgery, she tore the ligament in her other knee.  My poor girl just can’t catch a break.  A year after that she had to have both legs re-operated on because they didn't heal right.  It all never stopped her. She runs, she swims, she jumps.  I consider her my child and I've taken care of her through every painful experience she’s had. 

         Pelta’s tragedies were less of the physical state.  I unfortunately had to move back in with my parents and was unable to keep her.  She was given to a good home though, and lived just down the road from me so the girls could keep their sisterly bond.  But After a year of her being in her new home the family was getting distracted.  They were keeping her in the basement all hours of the day.  She was growing restless and losing her sweet personality.  I finally took her back and searched for a new home.  She then went to a young couple.  They were people who could give her their full attention.  It was the loving home she needed.  Again, a year passed, the young couple had a baby.  Who has time for a dog with a new baby?   I got her back again.  I was becoming furious with the situation.  I couldn't keep her and no one else wanted her.  Finally, I found a good friend who had land for Pelta to run free on, kids who were old enough that they didn't need full attention, and Pelta would be played with every day.  She’s been in that home for 2 years now, and I’m so thankful it stuck.  Both girls have been through a lot in their 5 years, each with their own story.

         Both girls mean the world to me.  Not being able to keep Pelta was definitely something that always weighed heavy on my heart.  I know she’s happy and taken care of though.  As for Seven, she’s my little butt monkey.  She is by my side every day.  Rather she’s got her head out the car window when we go for a ride, or she’s curled up next to me hogging my bed.  I had a great time raising both girls at once even though it was a challenge.  Someday, I might even do it again if I could be lucky enough to find another two pups as loving, loyal, and personable as Pelta and Seven.