It is safe to say that COVID has ruined 2020 for almost everybody. For a lot of us, nothing good has come out of this year and I think that we are all ready to move onto 2021. I have had very few bright spots to come out of this year, but one was when I got my dog Piper. I had only ever had one dog before Piper, but I was around 4 years old so I don’t really remember her much. Ever since then, my mom and I have wanted to get a dog, but my dad was never on board. After years of begging and persuading him, he finally caved in. 

My mom and I began looking for dogs around mid-March. We knew that we wanted either a Schnauzer, Shih Tzu, or Goldendoodle, so those were the dogs we were looking at closest. About a month later, on a cold, snowy February morning, my mom woke me up with great news. She had found the perfect dog that our entire family could agree on! She was a brown Goldendoodle that was about five weeks old. She had a marshmallow-white tail and chest. Her head was so much smaller than her body and I knew that she was the one right away. We were scheduled to pick her up later that month. 

The days until then felt like an eternity. I couldn’t wait to see her in person. Finally, after what felt like years of waiting, the day had come to go pick up my new puppy. She was at a small farmhouse in West Virginia, so the drive would be about three hours. We had planned out this trip weeks in advance so that she would be comfortable on her way back. I picked out a blanket for her to lay on in the car. We also purchased a plethora of toys for her to keep her entertained. I couldn’t contain my excitement on the drive there.

 As soon as I could control myself, we were already there. I jumped out of the car and raced to the house. I turned my head to look through the door and there she was. Piper was staring right back at me. I smiled from ear to ear and waited for the owner of the house to let me hold her. The first opportunity I got, I asked to hold her, which was approved. She was so small and fluffy and I didn’t let go of her until I set her down in the car. I stayed in the back of the car and sat with her while she slept. Her acclamation to our house took a little       

while but now she is happy as ever. 

Piper was definitely the best thing to come out of Quarantine for me.