Animals have been a part of my life since I was about 4 years old. I grew up on a 56-acre farm. We had up to 50 quarter horses (my sister showed them), Black Angus cows, barn cats and dogs. It’s my belief that animals, especially dogs and cats, know when their owners are sick or not feeling well. Because I have hemophilia, I’ve noticed this with each animal I’ve had in my life, particularly dogs and cats.
When I was around 3, my family moved to a rural part of Virginia about 65 miles west of Washington, DC. We moved to a county known for being “horse country.” Jacqueline Kennedy escaped to it to ride her horses. Banker Paul Mellon had a huge estate in the county. My parents bought 56 acres of land and built a large, beautiful stone house my father designed. He was an electrician, not an architect, but he was good with drawing plans for buildings. It was a great place to grow up.
Shortly after we moved, my dad brought home a Rottweiler puppy named Nonica. Nonica stuck to me like glue and was an awesome dog. My mother didn’t like her coming in the house, but it was 
evident from the start that she was more than a pet in our family. Whenever I was having a bleed and had to be parked on the couch, Nonica would lie on the floor beside me. Whenever I was out playing or riding my bike, she would be close by, watching out for me.
When I was around 6, Nonica and I went outside after dark to play in the snow. The snow had become slick with ice. I was running and slipped and fell. The left side of my face hit a railroad tie that was used to outline the parking area. Nonica started barking loudly to get someone’s attention inside the house. She wouldn’t leave me, as I lay in the snow crying in pain. I ended up having massive bleeding in my face, was in the hospital for a bit and was out of school for over a month. Nonica was my constant comfort.
Currently, my partner and I have several fur babies. When we moved in together, he had a dachshund and I had two cats. One of my cats is very bonded with me and always lies right beside me or follows me around if I’m having a bleed or not feeling good.
Recently, Jarrod and I adopted a 7-year-old golden retriever named Max. Max and I bonded immediately, and I became his “person.” Max is very energetic, loves to run, fetch Frisbees and tennis balls, and play tug of war with rope toys. He loves ice cream sandwiches and cottage cheese, of all things! His biggest love is the water. He loves to walk and swim in the creek behind our house. Also, we don’t live far from Lake Erie, so we take him there from time to time.
A few days ago, Max and I went for a walk in the woods along the creek. He was happily playing in the water, and I wasn’t far behind, holding his leash. I stepped on a flat rock covered in slippery moss, fell in the creek and landed on my arm. I dropped the leash. When Max realized I wasn’t holding the leash anymore, instead of running away, he ran over to me. I was holding my injured arm, and Max nudged my hand away and began licking my arm. Then, he positioned himself over me so I could grab onto him to pull myself up. For the next several days, Max would randomly lick my hurt arm, which ended up with several bleeds from the fall.
Our animals are like our children. We see them as members of the family, not just as pets. I do believe animals have a special gift in knowing when their human parents are sick and need them. It’s a wonderful gift for all of us!