As a remote worker, I travel often because I can bring my work along with me. Growing up, we always had cats. My kitty did not like to travel, and as she got older, I didn’t like to leave her for extended periods of time. After she passed away, I wanted to get a pet who would enjoy traveling as much as I do, so a dog seemed like a good fit.

Being a cat person, I wasn’t sure how to train a dog so I didn’t want a puppy, and I thought a smaller dog would make a better travel companion. Buying a dog wasn’t an option, as I don’t want to support puppy mills, and a slightly older dog fit my needs better. I found my Simon in the shelter; he was already potty trained and well behaved - it was a perfect match. He’s brought so much joy to my life - it’s definitely better sharing it with a doggo. Although Simon developed sincere anxiety issues in form of endless barking, when I left the house alone, I worked through this period, with the help of some good dog training books, friends, and patience.

Inspiration:

Kelly saved an older dog from a shelter. Those are hard to adopt out but make excellent companions as they are most likely already trained and calmer.