When I ask somebody to tell me what matters to them they monotonously reply with “my future career” or “school” or “my friendships”, of course they are all reasonable answers but they feel rehearsed. During these conversations, I can’t seem to shake the idea that we’re born to work and then die, contributing slightly to the growing pot of money in the centre of our country. When I’m asked that question I feel a bubble of determination begin to rise within me, what matters most to me is making a difference in this world for Mother Nature and all of her under appreciated creatures.

Looking into my dog’s innocent blinking eyes I feel an          inexpiable twist in my chest. I’m automatically transported back to three years ago, at the dog shelter. I was walking through the gap between the sea of desperate faces, trying to block out the whining and the whimpering that was drowning me.  I began to backtrack when I heard my name from down the hall, greeting my mom who was crouched down next to the shaking, curled up being I knew I wanted to aid and take care of for the rest of her life. As we announced that she was coming home with us, no questions asked, the woman began to fill us in on their discovery. They stumbled across her, tied to a tree no doubt scared and shivering in the bitter January cold. Hearing this, I felt myself become heavy and dizzy in grief for her. The girl I had fell in love with was damaged goods and in that moment I promised myself I would do anything I can to make sure she would never feel abandoned again.

That moment will be one I never forget, alongside the feeling I felt when she curled up to me and rested her head on my lap for the first time. From then on I knew I needed to feel that way again, I crave the surge of emotion that comes when an animal shows that they are grateful for me and that I have made a difference for at least one life. So that when she looks at me, I know that there is a bond there and a love for each other that will never disappear.

Therefore, when I look at the subtopic of ‘what matters’ I can’t erase the constant loop of that moment and what I have to do for animals in order to end life with no regrets and a heart full of love, surrounded by loyalty.