The Magical and Emotional Bond Between Humans and their Animals

As humans, we all want to be loved and accepted by those we surround ourselves with and those we spend our time with. These special bonds can be found in friends, family members, and especially, our pets.

Our pets are exceptionally special. They have a natural ability to make us feel at home — to make us feel unconditionally loved — while never asking for anything in return. We can be ourselves around our pets, wholeheartedly and unapologetically, while receiving the kind of love we all dream about… the kind of love that we don’t always receive from our parents, partners or friends. This is because pets are far more than just animals. They are our family, our best friends, and sometimes, our soulmates. Our pets never judge us, offer unsolicited advice, break promises, or let us down. They exist simply to love, and love is what they do best.

Daily life can be overwhelming, frustrating and exhausting. Amid all of the chaos, our pets have the ability to remove the weight of the world from our shoulders, even if just for a few moments. By sharing in their innocence, silliness, quirkiness and child-like naivety, we tend to feel lighter when we are with them. Our worries become less monumental. Our pets aren’t worried about taxes, death, disease or the blaring inequality rampant within our world. They don’t know about those things, and they never will. All they know is that they love you, and you love them. And that is all they could ever ask for.

I was blessed to grow up with my “soul dog,” an English Springer Spaniel named Piper. “Soul dogs” or “heart dogs” are soulmates in dog form. We adopted Piper from a shelter when she was one year old, and we had her for more than 13 years. She was the most special friend I ever had. She was with me during my most pivotal years of life. From early middle school through life after college, she was my rock. She listened to my stories, sat beside me when I cried (which was a lot), followed me into every room, waited outside my bedroom door every morning, and gave me the best cuddles, hugs and gentle kisses. When I was with her, I never worried about being too emotional, too sad, too excited, too embarrassing…too anything. She loved me for exactly who I was and never expected anything else.

Our pets play a pivotal role in our mental health by providing us with unconditional love and a sense of purpose. Very few of us know what we are doing with our lives. Very few of us have discovered our passions, let alone how to make a profit from our passions. On days when we feel hopeless and discouraged, our pets give us purpose and a sense of hope. They need us to feed them, take them on walks, play with them, and bathe them. By taking care of another being, we are more likely to take care of ourselves. Animals are great motivators to help get us out of bed when the world feels too daunting to even move. They need us, so we have to show up. We may have no idea why we are here or what our purpose is, but when we have an animal, they become one of our life purposes. They become at least one more reason to be here.

Emotional support animals and service animals are used for a reason. These animals are keenly aware of their owners’ emotional, mental, and physical states. They use their body language and emotional intuition to help stabilize and facilitate their owners in times of need. Service animals are trained to care for their humans, but many pets naturally have highly attuned emotional intuition.

While growing up with my dog, Piper, she was right there beside me every time I felt like my world was ending. Whether I was heartbroken over a guy or mourning the loss of my family members, she was always right there. She would sit next to me for hours as I sobbed on the floor. She would stare deeply into my eyes as I wept and gently lick away my fallen tears. She would lay in bed with me all day beneath the covers until I gained enough strength to get up. Without words, she always knew when I needed her. She grounded me so easily with her presence. She offered me love and support without having to ever ask for it.

When we need support from our friends or family, we call or text them to let them know we are struggling. It takes energy on our end to ask for support from our loved ones…energy that we may not always have or want to exert. With our animals, they just know. They know when we need their quiet, grounding love. There is something so magical about their intuition. They are magic.

When Piper passed away in 2021, I felt like my entire world had stopped. Her absence created monumental holes in my heart. I still break down from time to time when I think or talk about her. Her passing affected me in the same way as when my human family members passed. Piper was my family. She was my sister, my best friend, and my soulmate. Even still, the amount of grief I experience over her passing will never outweigh the amount of love we shared through the years. It is always worth it— befriending an animal and sharing in their love. It will rip our hearts into pieces when they pass away, but we can take some comfort in knowing that we provided them with a life filled with unconditional love, warmth, and safety. Maybe knowing this can help mend our broken hearts, even just a little.

Our animals are there with us through the most difficult seasons of our lives. They remain by our side through heartbreaks, deaths, self-discovery, job losses, and challenging moves. When the world feels dark and scary, they shine their light upon us and remind us that we are not alone. They remind us that we are loved and that somehow, everything will be okay. They remind us what truly matters in life: love and companionship. The kind of companionship animals offer us is like no other. It is special and separate from the love of a romantic partner, friend, or even a parental figure. Their love is unconditional, reminding us that we are enough exactly as we are. They allow us to have our bad days, laying in bed with the shades drawn, without making us feel unwanted. They allow us to bask in our happy days, dancing off-beat and singing off-key, without making us feel unworthy or unloveable. The relationship between humans and their pets is truly magical. It is rare to come across bonds solely based on love–no wants, no expectations, no desires… just warm, cozy, unconditional love.

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This is a poem I wrote for Piper after she passed away:

My Rainbow
I’ll miss our cuddles, your sweet kisses and love.
You were my precious friend sent from above.
Loyal in your heart, your beauty and soul.
Together with you, I never felt so whole.
You were my rainbow, hope after a storm.
With you, my heart was safe and warm.
I hope you are lighter now, free of pain.
I’ll be sure to look for you after the rain.

Until we meet again,
My beautiful friend.