I didn’t wake up one day and think that it was my calling to take pictures of my dogs all day. I never thought I would spend every day writing a blog for them. No, I didn’t look at them one afternoon and tell myself that they were born to be “Facebook famous”, or to make a difference in this crazy world of ours for rescue animals. No. It just happened. And I am so glad that it did.
On a typical day for us, life is not so typical. We are full time RV travelers and have been on the road for over two years now.
At the beginning of our trip, we were in a different state every week. We are not on that hectic of a schedule now, but almost every week, we are in a different state, campground or area. And traveling and spending 24 hours a day with my dogs has taught me many things. One of which is that although I certainly think my dogs are special, they are no more special than that dog in a shelter in Kentucky. Or that dog in a mansion in Beverly Hills. They are no more special than your dog. Because your dog is famous too. Do you know it, though?
It amazes me every single day that others love my dogs. When we reached 1000 fans on Facebook, I thought… why? Then, when we reached a million fans five years later, I knew why. They KNEW my dogs. Every facet, every fault. Every misadventure, every thought, every feeling. We put our daily lives out there for the world to see. And, maybe, if you are like me…you want others to like your dogs because they are certainly one of our biggest loves. Yet, as much as others love my boys Peanut Butter Brickle and Digby Pancake, my call to you today is to see your dog as famous too. What would you want the world to see about your dog? Do you see it?
My dogs having so many fans was due in large part because we showed their true personalities from the beginning. We decided that their reality was better than any fantasy. So many people tell us that they can’t believe how MUCH personality they have. They tell us that they are like people. And I always ask them, what makes them like people to you? That they have a personality or feelings, likes and dislikes? They are no different than us in that regard. And yet, some cannot see that the animals right in front of them are the same. Because they have not taken the time to see.
You see, your dog or furkid deserves to be recognized. Imagine that your furkid had his or her own channel for people to watch every day! Look at your dog just for one day like that. Notice the small things. Think of what story you would tell about your day. What story would your dog tell?
Noticing your dog’s or furkid’s true being is not something that all people do. In fact, it is easier to think that animals don’t have feelings, or that our responsibility towards them is not as great as it is. But the truth is, if we don’t view our animals as worthy of being recognized, others will not either. Yes, those animals in need around the world are waiting, every day to be seen too.
So instead of asking for Brickle and Digby’s pawtograph today, talk to you dog and get their signature on life. Look in your furkid’s eyes and see what others could see about him or her. See what you would want others to see. In that way, your dog will be so famous that the spotlight will be in showing and telling others that animals have true feelings. And then we can all make a difference. Together.
-Rachael Johnson, Co-Owner 2 Traveling Dogs and Your Dog’s Diner
Catch our daily dog blog written by Brickle and Digby at 2TravelingDogs.com
