7:00 a.m.
My day begins promptly at 7 a.m. with my “Penny alarm” on my iPhone. I immediately hit the snooze button and attempt to steal a few more minutes of sleep before my dalmatian Penny’s whining becomes enough to break my slumber. Even if I wanted to skip my absurdly early 8:30 Chinese class, there is no way Penny would wait past 7:30 for her breakfast. So I reluctantly slump to Penny’s kennel, feed her, take her to pee and poop (twice) and get ready for class. I grab a banana and head to campus.
9:45 a.m.
By this time, I’m done with Chinese and back at my house, taking Penny out again. I clip her to a stake in the yard and let her roam and try to prevent her from tearing up the new sod. It’s a beautiful day, so I sit outside with her on a towel as I write my Chinese Cinema paper due at 2 p.m. (I know, I’m crazy for taking two Chinese classes). She poops for the third time today, so I use a plastic bag to pick them up. This task never ceases to be gross.
11:30 a.m.
Before I head back to campus, I take Penny out to potty again.
5:15 p.m.
I’m back at my house, finally done with my 3-hour Chinese Cinema class. Penny hasn’t peed in five hours, and she pulls me out the door to get to the grass. This always makes me feel guilty when she waits a long time to go to the bathroom. I usually have one of my friends take her out during my 6-hour shifts at my restaurant job.
6:30 p.m.
Dinner time. More kibble for Penny, and I pick up Roly Poly or make and egg sandwich. One lemonade popsicle later, another potty break for Penny and I’m snuggled up in bed doing homework or watching TV. Penny always falls asleep before me. She’s a pro at many things, including sitting for treats, pooping and most importantly, sleeping.
A non-pet owner might think taking multiple trips back and forth all day is a pain, or that 7 a.m. is an ungodly hour to wake up or that picking up someone else’s poop is absolutely uncalled for. But let me list the benefits of having Penny. Psychologist Deborah Wells of the British Journal of Health Psychology has researched the health effects of pet ownership.
“It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress, one of the major risk factors associated with ill-health,” Wells said in a BBC article in January 2007. “The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner.”
Science or not, Penny makes me happy. She is an adorable puppy with a great attitude. No matter how mad I get at her, she never gets irritated at me. Her tail never stops wagging and she always has a joyous greeting for me. She keeps me responsible, waking up every morning on time. She doesn’t let me get lazy or complacent. She has made me more financially responsible. Because, let’s face it, dogs are expensive, and I have to save my money in case she gets sick.
Dr. Wells said in the BBC article, “in some cases, the social support offered by an animal is greater than the support another human could offer.”
I’m not the crazy pet lady, but I agree that Penny’s support is endless. As Owen Wilson so beautifully spoke in the movie “Marley and Me,” “A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his.”
CATHERINE THRELKELD
Penny