The concept of comfort characters has always intrigued me. My definition of a comfort character is a particular character that can instantly make you feel better just by thinking about them. My comfort characters are usually characters from my friends who are writers because I can ask about them whenever I want. 

The way to my heart though is through dogs. I have had a dog for most of my life. They can be a handful. My dog Ama will pull me back into bed if I try to get up before she’s ready to end our cuddle sessions. She steals my blankets in the middle of the night and has even unplugged my power chair to keep me from leaving the house a few times. I watch her sleep more often than I care to admit. She makes me wonder if I will end up being a parent who is always worried about their kids even if I know they are safe. 

My roommate and I had Ama taken from us when she was around one year old from the dog park down the street from our apartment. Our neighbors and friends helped us search until it was too dark to see outside anymore. We posted her picture on every lost dog group on Facebook. We posted flyers everywhere we could think to hang them. We barely ate or slept that night. We wanted Ama home. 

The next morning we looked through the neighborhood again. Then around three o’clock that afternoon we saw a Facebook alert that she was at the local Animal Care and Control facility. One of our friends from the dog park drove my roommate to pick up Ama. We gave them her microchip number and showed them some of her pictures. We paid the fee and had our dog back. 

It’s been a while since she spent that night in the pound, but I don’t think she’s ever forgotten it. 

Microchipping your pet is so important. You never know what could happen. Pets aren’t just for our comfort. They are members of our family so why not use any resource to protect them? It’s a quick and painless process. It can also help bring your pet back home.

Featured photo by Lepele courtesy of Pixabay