Growing up, my family always had a dog. When I moved out for college, I started volunteering at a local animal shelter just to be around animals again. As I got close to graduation with big life changes on the horizon, there didn't seem to be any space for a dog. 

One day a new dog arrived at the shelter and her name was Diggy Azalea. She was the kind of dog who could put a smile on anyone's face. I would've adopted her in a heartbeat if life wasn't so crazy, but I decided (perhaps foolishly) to introduce her to my boyfriend before she was snatched up. He immediately fell in love and, after some logistical scrambling, we ended up bringing Diggy home. She is now our adventure buddy and the best companion we could ever ask for.