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Dogs really are a man's best friend. It's funny how you much you miss them when they are gone. Our house was always quiet before we had kids. Our 17 year old German Sheppard, Jasmine spent much of her time sleeping. And even though she never made any noise the house was never as quiet as when she was gone. My husband and I walked around in silence until I couldn't take it any longer.

"I 'm going out to the SPCA, now!" My husband and I had always planned on getting another dog or cat after Jasmine's passing. As the years went by and she entered the winter season of her life we talked and prepared for what our life would be like without her and we agreed that we would adopt a dog or a cat that was in desperate need of a home. My husband didn't have a preference on a breed of dog, his only stipulation was "It can't be hyper". We were used to an older dog. A quiet dog.

I stood in line to fill out adoption paperwork, not sure if I would be taking home an animal that day. But God always has a master plan. At that very moment a five month old, female, pure bred Jack Russell Terrier was being surrendered because she was "too big". She weighed only five pounds. The truth was that her owners surrendered her because they couldn't handle her. So many Jack Russells suffer the same fate as she, ending up in shelters because people don't do their research before adopting their Jack.

When they brought her to me, I just knew she was to be mine. Her markings were beautiful. She has a tan head, with what I call an angel's mark in the middle of her forehead. It's a white heart. No kidding. The whiskers on the right side of her face are black; the whiskers on the left are white. She has a black circle on her hindquarter the size of a donut. She has black ticking all over a white belly and one black toenail. The rest are white. She has a very pretty face, more like a fawn, than a Jack Russell. When I held her in my arms my heart melted.

"Ripley" helped to heal my broken heart and quickly became my best friend. When we brought her home, we kenneled her the first night and she did great. My husband wanted no more animals on the bed. That was his rule. The second night she whimpered all night. It tore at my heart but I didn't give in. The third night, she whimpered for about five minutes before Heath said, "Go get her. She can sleep with us. But just for tonight." She's been in our bed every since. She sleeps underneath all the blankets, at my feet, between my legs. I am starting to suffer with back pain because of the years of positioning myself in unorthodox positions to make sure that she is comfortable.

When I found out that I was pregnant, people asked, "So what are you going to do with Ripley?" Or I heard, "Well you know she won't like the babies." Everyone doubted her but I knew better. We brought my sons home and immediately she loved them and mothered over them. I would say to her, "Ripley, let's go get the babies", and she would run up to their bedroom and whimper with excitement. She is very protective of my sons, even now. They run with her, laugh with her, and irritate her to no end, but she just loves them more and more.

It makes me extremely sad to see her muzzle growing white. It seems like just yesterday she was a puppy. They really do leave us too fast don't they? No matter. I don't regret my decision to adopt her. She saved my life. And I saved hers. God knew that we needed one another and he had us come together at just the right time. If not for her I would still be lonely and without a best friend.

Learn more about this author, Denise Calaman.
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