Pico and Kona – My Canine and Feline Saviors!

During these crazy times, it’s important for us to remember our four-legged furry friends.  For me, I can honestly say that my 12-year old Bichon rescue, Pico, and my cuddly 11 year-old cat, Kona, are keeping me sane and calm during this Co-VID storm.  I am grateful that I can take Pico on a 45- 60 minute walk around my neighborhood, getting me outside to exercise and take in some fresh air.  At night, I snuggle with my Kona nestled on my side. Small things, such as these, provide me a sense of security and purpose in life beyond the frenetic, fast-paced external world.

I’ve always loved animals.  As a child, I would cut out the Veterinarian Q & A in Sunday’s Home Pet section and compiled a folder of all of the articles.  As a teenager, I dreamt of going to Veterinary School at UC Davis and becoming a specialist treating cats and dogs.  This changed, however, during my time as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley where I worked as a Contraceptive Counselor at Cowell Hospital on the Berkeley campus.  There I partnered with Nurse Practitioners taking care of students and educating them about various birth control options.  Although I majored in Zoology, I realized my commitment to Women’s Health would have more impact than attending veterinary school and was accepted to University of California, San Diego Medical School.  The rest, you can say, is history…

Now, during these times of required stay-at-home guidelines and pent-up frustration, I cherish these precious pets who provide me with unconditional love and happiness.  I smile when I see Pico excited and running in circles to greet me at the end of the day.  It’s as if he had won the lottery – and maybe he indeed did!  But I truly feel I did - by being able to adopt this precious senior canine and reciprocate his unending love.  These are truly the little things in life that we can be mindful and grateful for during these unprecedented times.

At Amazing Over 40, we are a community of women bonded together to live our fullest lives, during the best and potentially the worst of times.  Let us not forget the wonderful creatures around us who bring us unlimited joy and happiness - reminding us to be grateful to be alive.

Please share comments about your pet, be it a bird, turtle, rabbit, etc. who has helped you during these challenging times.  

In health and happiness,