I  live right next to a park with my roommate, and we often see pet owners walking all sorts of dogs. It always makes me miss my two pets at home: my golden retriever, Buddy, and my one-eyed cat, Sally.

Having my pets at my home in Winston-Salem was always a comfort to me when I was there by myself. They’d follow me around to every room I went and kept me company.

Seeing every adorable breed of dog right next to our condo made me really miss the companionship I had with my pets at home, so I started wanting my own dog.

My roommate and I got the opportunity to dog-sit for a friend. We were so excited for our chance to have a cute, white Maltese stay with us for a week.

The dog my roommate and I got to take care of was adorable. She was loving, energetic, and she fit perfectly in our condo. I was afraid I’d get too attached to her by the time we had to give her back.

She followed us around all day, and she constantly wanted our attention. We took her for walks in the park like the other dog owners did, and we really enjoyed her company.  

I thought it was cute that she insisted on sleeping on my bed with me that night, so she fell asleep right by my feet.

That was where I made a big mistake. I was woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of her getting sick on my bed, right on my favorite comforter. I probably should have made her stay in our living room or put down a different blanket I didn’t care about for her to sleep on, but I irrationally didn’t think something so cute could be so gross.

From then on out, I didn’t want her sleeping in my room, of course. But when we put her in her cage, she quickly found her way out by pawing at the door. When my roommate locked her door so the dog couldn’t get in, the dog constantly jumped at the door and scratched until, somehow, the door opened.

Suddenly, the dog wasn’t cute at all. It was just annoying and a hassle.

I would come home and even though I’d already taken her out, she would use my room as her bathroom. What put me over the edge about her was when I stepped in a mess that she left in my room while wearing brand new shoes.

By this time, we were more than ready for the dog to go. I realized I just didn’t want to deal with the pet. I also just don’t have the time between classes and an internship.

I then realized my parents have always taken care of all the duties of watching Buddy and Sally at home. I fed them occasionally and spent time with them, but my mom cleaned up after their messes and took them to the vet. But when you get a pet, it’s you who is responsible for it — no one else.

Also, we got Buddy when I was in first grade and Sally when I was in kindergarten. When you get a pet on an impulse, you don’t think that it will be with you for possibly the next 15 years. I have no idea where I’ll be living or in what kind of apartment or house I will have after graduating. I might be at a place where I definitely wouldn’t be allowed to have a pet.

I just want to caution anyone who’s thinking of getting a dog, or some other pet, never to do it on an impulse. I’m very glad I had the experience of watching someone else’s dog. Otherwise, I may have gotten one, and it wouldn’t have worked out for my roommate and me to care for it.  

So, I’m going to go back to my dog-free place and enjoy the quiet. I’ll just visit my pets at home when I miss them.