I Need a Dog
I had told Mamá Tica that I have never had a dog before. Surprised, she told me that Mati is my first dog. Since then, I have definitely felt like he is actually my dog. Whenever Mamá Tica isn't home, he usually lays at the top of the stairs between her and our bedrooms. If I don't sit there petting him while he lays there, I'll pick him up and put him on my bed so that we can snuggle. If I didn't mention it already, Matías is a white, mini French Poodle, so this is not that hard of a task. He will lay there with me until he gets too warm, and then move to the end of the bed or onto the cool tile underneath.
After meals, I will pick him up and hold him in my lap as I chat with whoever is at the table with me. He knows that we have that short time together, I'm sure, as he often taps at my leg with a paw before I'm done eating. "Que Chineado," Tía Sandra says, calling him spoiled. I don't mind; I like spending time with him. I'll also pick him up and carry him around sometimes before we head upstairs after dinner for bed.
Because of my affinity for animals, one of my brothers used to tell me that when I grew up, my house would be a zoo. Since working with the animals at the refuge in San Rafael, touring the Toucan Ranch, and actually having part of the experience of having a dog with Mati, I can say with confidence that I agree wholeheartedly. I'm already planning to head to the nearest Humane Society when I get home and ask if they need an extra volunteering hand. When I have my own place that I can keep animals, I want to go to the shelter and ask who has been there the longest so that I can give them a home. I've had more interaction with dogs here in three months than I think I've had my whole life growing up, and I love every single second of it.