About a year ago, I lost three cats and my dog, Shep, all within six months of each other. That in itself was heartbreaking. Pets are like family, after all. Especially dogs. They are there for you when no one else is. Dogs are the definition of unconditional love. When this piled on top of the fact that I got into a vehicle accident soon after, and was depressed as a result, life was hard. I felt detached from reality. That was before my current dog, Achilles, literally found his way to my doorstep.

About seven months ago I returned home from work and found this coffee colored dog sleeping on my front porch. It turns out he was a Portuguese Hunting Dog. Already we’d something in common since I am Portuguese.

He was thin and looked very timid. I slowly made my way over to him, crouching down to his level with my hand out for him to sniff. Sure enough, when I got within 6 inches of him he flinched and cowered from the porch to my driveway. That was when I noticed his limp.

I went inside and got him some food and water. There were still a few cans of wet dog food from when Shep was around. I placed them on the driveway and waited patiently for him to come over to me. It didn’t take any longer than a minute before he sauntered over. I held out my hand again as he sniffed me before diving into the bowl. When he was finished, I knew that I finally had his trust. I started petting him before lifting his back paw. It was all cut up, like he had been walking on glass for days. I got a washcloth and cleaned the wound. I could not believe that someone would just throw this poor animal on the street. He obviously had not eaten in a while, and it sickened me that he was so neglected. At that point I knew I had to give him a home. There was just one problem…my dad.

When he came home from work, it was an entirely different story. He tried shooing the dog away, ignoring my pleas and said, “I want to get a dog when I’m ready. I do not want a dog to adopt us. Besides, that thing is too small and skinny.” But as most people know, you should never underestimate the tears of a daughter.

That night I spent a lot of time with the dog outside, who was as determined as I was for his adoption. Eventually I had to go inside and go to bed, but he was still there the next morning when I left for work, and there to greet me when I got back. When my dad came home and saw me outside with the dog, he walked past me and into the house without saying a word. A half an hour later I went inside to get him some water and my father said, “Fine. You can keep the dog. IF there are NO lost dog ads in the newspaper that fit his description.”

Achilles has been by my side ever since. He is my Littleshadow who follows me around everywhere. He cuddles with me in bed. He quietly listens to me when I’ve had a bad day. He’s my protector when I need to get out of the house. He cheers me up by acting life a goof ball. He gives me kisses on my cheek just because. He is simply there. He found me and took me out of that dark place when I needed someone the most. And in return I healed him and gave him a home. We are each other’s savior.