The Surprise That Changed My Life

It was a sad day in the Brklycica household when we had to say goodbye to Ben. My Yellow Labrador Retriever, Ben, became an angel on February 21, 2021. I did not know a life without Ben, as he grew up alongside me. He was a chunky, go-with-the-flow type of dog that loved to sleep and beg for food. After Ben’s passing, we noticed the house was always quiet, which was extremely rare for us. My parents decided we needed to get our spark back, and a few months later, I was surprised with my new best friend. 

It was a weekend in April 2021, when I was awakened by my mom saying we needed to leave the house. Confused, I got ready for the day and headed downstairs, waiting to see where we had to go. My mom stopped me in my tracks, and excitedly pulled out her phone to show me something. It was a picture of an eight week-old Golden Retriever puppy named Theo. “We’re going to bring him home,” my mom exclaimed with glee. My mouth dropped, and I was speechless. We were going to meet our new puppy that morning. My mom and I jumped in the car and drove nearly two and a half hours to go pick up Theo from an Amish family in Waynesboro, PA.  

When we got to the house, there was a box of around six Golden Retriever puppies with their mom. The lady picked up Theo, and she handed him over to me. That was the first time I was introduced to him, and I nearly cried. He was tiny, fluffy and perfect. I got to hold him on my lap the whole drive home, and that’s how I knew we were going to have a special bond. 

Now, Theo is three years-old and still has the exact same personality as when we brought him home. He is energetic and playful, as he loves toys. He can only have hard-built playthings because he will manage to destroy any toy that he can. He loves to play tug and fetch out in the yard, no matter what type of weather is happening. Theo’s favorite kind of toy is any kind of ball that squeaks. Also, Theo loves walks. When I am home from school, my mom and I take him over to our local park and walk him every evening. He even has some friends at the park that he sees almost every day.  

Theo is also the type of dog that can bring a smile to anyone’s face. He’s so friendly and loveable. He has gorgeous red fur that makes him unique, and he is always getting compliments. In my mind, his features would make him a fantastic show dog that could do well in competitions, maybe including The National Dog Show Presented by Purina on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to my internship this semester at Vizion Group PR, I am excited to be working on projects surrounding the big dog show that takes place every November at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA (www.nds.nationaldogshow.com). We all think our dogs are the best, but I believe Theo would fit perfectly into the competition with all those other gorgeous canines. He’d be able to captivate the judges with his silky, red fur and his athletic figure. The NBC viewers at home would absolutely fall in love with him! 

At the same time, Theo is not perfect. He can be a bit ornery, but only because he craves attention. When we’re not paying much attention to him, he’ll steal anything he can — from socks, to oven mitts, to towels, and so much more. He loves to be chased when he steals these things, as it’s like a game to him. However, we can never be mad at our boy, and we still admire how precious he is, even when he should be getting in trouble.  

One thing that Theo is allowed to have is ice cream, and he sure loves it. Every time my family goes out to get ice cream he, of course, has to come along. Theo’s go-to flavor is a vanilla pup cup, and it usually has a treat in it. Also, Theo loves car rides in general. Going to get ice cream is not the only place we take him. He loves to go visit my grandparents, run errands and even come see me here at Penn State! 

Now that I am two hours away from home at college, I don’t get to see Theo as much as I would like to. However, I am always asking my mom to send me pictures, so I can see what he is doing. I also have pictures of him on display throughout my room that I admire all day. When I am with Theo, I make sure to cherish all the precious moments we have together. And, I can’t wait to create even more memories with him, including watching the National Dog Show this Thanksgiving Day on NBC. I can imagine Theo on the screen, trying to convince the judges that he is as great as I think he is. I am so grateful for the time I had with Ben and that Theo is now in my life to bring out the spark in my family and me.