A Girl’s Best Friend (Nope, no Diamonds Here)

By Rebecca Seylar, General Manager

My dog is probably my most prized possession.

As that cliché hypothetical question goes: if there was a fire and I could grab one thing, it would be my four-legged sidekick.  Although technically she would be running ahead of me at full speed, and my hands would be free to grab my computer, that’s neither here nor there.

One day I went to the Butte Humane Society with my human best friend to write a story for my JOUR 341 class and saw a scruffy, small mutt in a green sweater.

I went back the next day and took her home with me. I named her after Luna Lovegood, the whimsy and slightly loopy Harry Potter character. My boyfriend, who I live with, was out of town at the time, so when he got home I casually said, “Hey look I adopted this dog! Isn’t she cute?”  Not one of my proudest girlfriend moments, but he grew to love her just as much as I do.

I’m a very logical and methodical person with very little impulsive tendencies. But her adoption was definitely the most impulsive decision I’ve ever made.

Even though she is my best friend--just saying that out loud makes me feel so awkward--it hasn’t always been a walk in the park taking care of her as a working college student.

She had (and still suffers from) severe separation anxiety. She’s destroyed carpet, blinds and toys. She is a piece of work.  My schedule is catered to making sure I can get home to let Luna out.  But she is so worth it, because every time I’m home alone, I’m not really alone. She’s always there…literally.  I wasn’t kidding about the separation anxiety.

I encourage any college student thinking about getting a dog to consider ALL the responsibility that comes with a canine best friend.  You can’t just leave on any given weekend or have a crazy loud party if your dog is as anxious as mine is. But hey, she’s worth it. Look at that face.