This week I found one of my African dwarf frogs lying upside down in the bottom of my fish tank. To my dismay, I discovered that the little critter had passed away while I was gone for the first week of school. I received my two dwarf frogs, Princess and Boo (named by an ex, don’t judge) for my 18th birthday. They were small, mean and basically identical when my sister-in-law gave them to me. The only way I could tell them apart was the fact that Princess ate one of Boo’s hands. They lived in my bedroom, and croaked low, quiet croaks during the night. Princess is still alive, but no longer croaks or awkwardly flits around the tank like he used to. He mainly sits at the bottom and eats leftovers from the other fishes’ dinner.

While I do not believe he has entered a state of depression, my frog’s actions have caused me to ponder our human emotions in response to the loss of a pet. For those of you who own pets, you may know the unique bond one can form with their companion that can mirror the strength of a human relationship. Pets do not judge or hate, but simply treat us in the way that we treat them. If we express love and compassion to our furry friends, we generally can expect them to reciprocate it many times over.

My dog Nike was no exception. Nike was a boxer who had no front teeth and eyes that moved in opposite directions. He was named after a very defined Nike swoosh on his stomach. He woke up at six in the morning and demanded to be taken outside, he intentionally tipped his food bowl over on our deck to let us know he wanted back in the house, and he never even learned the simple command “come.”

However, these little characteristics created the goofy, care-free figure that was Nike. We bought him when I was five years old, and I grew up with him as a part of everyday life. He was as much a part of my family as my brothers and parents were. However, the danger of this is that we tend to believe the status quo of life never ends.

We were forced to put Nike down during my senior year of high school. I remember that it was a snow day at school and Nike began to have frequent seizures while I was at home with him. My dad and I drove him to the vet, where he was given a sedative. The vet allowed us some alone time to say our goodbyes, and at that moment I thought part of my life was being pulled away from me. To this day, it is the only time I have ever seen my dad cry. I didn’t think I could ever leave that room and subsequently leave behind some of the best memories of my entire life. I told Nike I loved him and would miss him, and left him resting more peacefully than I had seen in years.

It was one of the most trying experiences of my life, but now I am thankful for the time we had together. Nothing lasts forever, and we forget this simple truth all too often. Appreciate the little fuzzy friends you have, because they are some of the most unconditionally-loving creatures you can find on this planet. Show them a little love, and they can change your life forever.

I was thinking this article might be too depressing to write, but then something happened that nudged me to print it anyway. Sunday evening, I went home to see my family. I left for campus around 9 p.m., and as I walked out in my driveway to my car, my cat Leonard was sitting next to my car door as if to say goodbye. Leonard is a 15-year-old tabby cat who also doubles as one of the last living parts of my childhood. I picked him up, gave him a good squeeze, and then moved him out of the way so I wouldn’t back over him. It’s moments like these that we should treasure with our friends, and it’s moments like these that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Shameless Plug of the Week: If you don’t think cats or dogs are for you, try out an aquarium. Fish are easy to take care of and require little space. I have two aquariums and absolutely love them. If you would like more info on setting up a tank, feel free to email me or contact your local pet store.

— Hunter Tipton is a senior in microbiology. He can be reached at [email protected].