“Woof, bark, howl.” These are every day sounds that a domestic dog would make. “Whimper, cry, yelp.” These are not sounds you should normally hear from a house pet. Animals have been giving love and joy to their owners for centuries. Many animal owners would even consider them family. Like many people, one of the most important things in my life is my family. Growing up without any brothers or sisters made me realize that I needed my parents and other relatives to provide me company. The feeling of loneness went away one Christmas when I came down the stairs to a dog sitting between my mom’s legs. It was as if God answered my prayers when I walked down those stairs to see my family plus one. Rumba, we named him. I am still not quite sure why my dad came up with the name, but that is unimportant. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on Rumba that I was not alone anymore, and would not be for years to come. The love I showed to my dog, or “brother” as my mom seems to think he is, was unmatchable. Almost every morning I would wake up with limited space to move because my dog decided the end of my bed was more comfortable than his. What this dog meant to me during my younger years was something I will never be able to explain to someone in words. One memorable morning I woke up to find no dog at the foot of my bed. I knew something strange must have happened for Rumba to not be there. I got up from beneath the covers and opened the door. There, sound asleep, was Rumba. Rumba looked at me, stood up off of the floor, and ran to my bed. Whenever I sleep at home to this day he still manages to find his way onto my bed in the early mornings, except now he isn’t so thoughtful with his positioning. Now that we are both almost fully grown there is not enough room for him at the bottom. This gives him an excuse to sprawl out and sleep right next to me, preventing any possible movements. In all honesty, I wouldn’t have it any other w