By Stephanie Clay, England, United Kingdom
Some time ago I was walking my neighbor’s dog, a smart greyhound named Tinkerbell; Tink for short. My neighbor had cancer, and dog walks were not something she could do.
By Montina Holliday, Arizona
I had the pleasure of accepting a gift of love from a patient and his family while tending to them at the hospital where I work as a patient care tech. It started when I had the nudge to tell them I was finally open to getting a pet, probably a cat.
By Anna Finch, Oregon
When I moved back to Virginia in 2009, my dad adopted Tommy. The cat had a lot of health issues. He was raised on a farm and had to be on medications.
By Sri Harold Klemp
“Ashley” had driven a long way to meet her brother “Mike,” who lives in a desert town. When she got there, the two went out to lunch. As they were waiting in line, they saw a man who had this little cage. Inside was the cutest little puppy. The man said, “He’s six weeks old.”
By Angelica Maulucci, California
Everyone who knows me knows I loved my pet fish Rey. I bought him filtered water and made sure he had exposure to sunlight. I even brought him with me in the car when I went to Cape Cod and drove to western Massachusetts for long weekends. Friends joked that of course this would happen when you give a social worker a fish.
By Judith D’Amico, Sydney, Australia
Twenty-five years ago I was living in Libya. In response to some painful experiences during the seven years before, I had closed my heart and hardened myself to love.