When I was about…let’s say 5 or 6, we got a dog. It was the first dog I’d ever had of my own. We got Rex as a puppy from my Dad’s Friend. His introduction to the family was oddly timed, as we moved and changed towns/schools shortly after getting him. Through that transition, Rex was a big help when it came to friends (like many introverts, I was a shy child) and probably my best friend for most of my elementary school days (or primary school or grade school or whatever makes you most comfortable). Since that point, I guess I’ve always been interested in the relationships between humans and animals. It comes up a lot in real life and also plays a part in my writing.
And I’m talking about the non-mystical relationships that people form with animals. The kind of relationship formed when two individuals share a strong and powerful bond. Like Chito and Pocho, from Costa Rica, a man who swims with his seventeen-foot crocodile and plays with him like a dog. Or in 1969, the story of Christian the lion, raised by humans and still recognized them after he had been introduced to a new pride. Kevin Richardson, an animal behaviorist, was able to integrate himself into a pack of hyenas. Seriously, go Google any of those and you’ll be aching for an African big cat of your very own (But please don’t, they’re wild animals).
Through all these examples, we see a few commonalities: Trust, Respect, and Patience. I think that’s partly why I like these relationships so much and feel the need to include them in my writing. As human as we can be sometimes, it takes an animal for us to really see what we’re like when faced with a challenge. Rex was my dog and my best pal for years (he was thirteen when he finally passed) and he made me a better person for it.