Ollie is my pet dog and is my first and only pet. This furry fellow came into my life when I was 10 years old (Ollie was only 14 weeks). It has been the best experience I've ever had.

During the Covid pandemic, my family moved from a tiny apartment in New York City to a house in the country in upstate New York. This was our chance to get a dog. My sister and I had been asking, begging for a dog, and our wish finally came true. My parents were adamant that we "adopt" a puppy rather than "buy" him, so it took longer and was a huge surprise when it finally happened. We were all very excited.

The rescue company had found him in a Toy Story box on the side of the road with his mother, brothers, and sisters. His mother had a bebe in her head, they said she looked badly abused. They named him Sid after one of the characters in the movie, but we wanted to give him a new name. When we were thinking of his forever name, I came up with Ollie. It is short for Oliver, who is my best friend from NYC. My dad wanted to name him "Sid" Vicious after a punk musician but my name won with the support of my mom and sister. Ollie and his siblings had only been born one or two days before they were found in that box. He was rescued from Tupelo, Mississippi, and then lived in a foster home in New Jersey, before finally making his way up the highway to a rest stop in Connecticut, where we met him. I mapped his journey with Google and the whole trip was 1,255 miles.

The highway stop was very loud, with all the passing cars and people lining up to eat at the suspect-looking diner and pump gas. The rest stop smelled of gas and looked crummy and old, but I felt that this was going to be the most exciting thing to ever happen to me. The trailer transporting our new dog was over an hour late, so we were stressed. Were we at the correct place, was this going to happen, did we miss our chance, was this a scam? We kind of felt like fools for waiting for a dog that might never come. I was so stressed that I felt like I was pulling my hair out. My family got him from a white van with tons of dog cages that arrived at the gas station. He was as small as the length of my arm and his eyes were so innocent, but he was also nervous and starving. We picked him up, took him to our car, and then drove home.

When we got home and I got to play with him, it was hard to choose the word that best described it; so I'd say it was "overwhelming." I was filled with anxiety, happiness, and thought. "What if Ollie turns out to be sick and we have to immediately get a doctor?" "What chores will I have to do to take care of this dog?" I had so many questions. Ollie was a "Covid" adoption so he was not used to strangers coming over. Quarantined in place, Ollie never met our best friends, and our doorbell never rang, so "strangers were dangerous." In my experience, Ollie is very affectionate toward us as he goes on my bed and cuddles with me. He loves playing with me, he loves his doggie friends, and he loves treats.

To be honest, Ollie is a handful, but he is loving, cautious, a bit crazy, and, his biggest and most unrivaled trait of all, he is adorable. It is such a weird and unique task for me to take care of a dog. It's been stressful but he has evolved into what I think is the best kind of dog. My 10-year-old dream of owning a dog was finally realized and now I have this little furball of bones and cuteness that I must help to take care of.

Overall, Ollie has changed my life for the better, both mentally and physically. He is entertaining and funny but always wants affection for himself, like when he plays tug-of-war or fetch, especially when he lays his head on my lap and falls asleep. Seeing him happy makes me happy. He also helps with my family's mental health by just sticking around and being funny. He is the best dog and I hope I see him old and frail. I love him so much, and I cannot fathom my life without him. I cannot help but be affectionate to this real-life Scooby Doo; he is so good to be around, and I could not help but write a story about my experience. If you do get a dog, I think that even when it's hard at first (like with Ollie), it will get smoother and you will enjoy the training and walks with him, which I am slowly liking. If you have ever wanted a dog, I hope my experience helps influence your decision.