I remember that I used to be terrified of dogs when I was younger. I can recall this day as if it was yesterday. I was around the age of six or seven when my older sister had brought over her German Shephard, Nina, over our house and I was so excited because that’s the first memory I had of actually being near a dog. But what was once excitement soon turned into fear when all of a sudden Nina launched towards me and scratched the inside of my left forearm. I remember running as fast as I could away from the creature and into the arms of my father, I was in tears and in so much pain. I was so confused in that moment because I would constantly hear the phrase “dogs are a man’s best friend,” if so, why was I just attacked by one for no reason. And from that moment on I thought I would never like dogs again. I believed them all to be vicious and cruel animals and I never went near one for the longest time.

           We all know the famous movie Marley and Me and how it was able to portray the love that all owners have for their dogs and then put it on the big screen for the whole world to see. It was set in the early 90’s as the newly married couple John and Jenny Grogan had decided to uproot their lives and move from Michigan to sunny South Florida. They were young and thrilled to start their new careers in an exciting new environment. Typically for most young couples, the wife is usually ready to begin a family as soon as possible, but in the movie John explains to his close friend Sebastian his unsureness of starting an actual family at the moment. Sebastian gives him the idea of adopting a little puppy for Jenny to help prepare them for the new responsibilities that they might be taking on soon and that’s exactly what John does. He takes his wife Jenny to look for new puppies and they fall upon the little golden retriever, which they adopt and name Marley. If you’ve ever owned a dog then you would understand that it takes a lot of work and patience and that’s exactly what the Grogan needed once they got Marley.

             The first time I saw this movie I was watching it with my oldest sister and was still on my anti-dog kick, so when she suggested the movie I wasn’t all too excited. I gave in because at the time I was probably nine years old so I didn’t really have anything else better to do. I watched the young couple go through so many obstacles and through it all Marley was there for them to provide love, comfort, and of course humor through his many shenanigans. Seeing Marley act like a crazy, fun-loving dog reminded me of how compassionate and amazing dogs actually are. It was like Marley had a sixth sense because whenever Jenny or John were having a bad day all it took was for Marley to do some outrageous act that got the both of them out of their funk.

              At the time of watching this movie I has just recently transferred to a different school because I was experiencing bullying at my previous institution. I was not only having a hard time recovering from the trauma of being bullied but at the same time I was trying to get used to my new environment and it was very difficult. On top of the fact that I am an extremely shy person, my new school was quite small and everyone there had known each other since Pre-K, so it was quite difficult trying to make new friends. Watching the movie reminded me of caring and loving dogs are and how they provide a friendship like no other. I went to my parents the next day and explained how I was having trouble adjusting to my new school and that I felt a dog would help me, they eventually agreed and the next day we went to the pet store and adopted a mix-bred Poodle and I gave her the name Mindy. She was amazing and everything that I needed at the time. I no longer felt alone anymore because I finally had a friend, even though this friend walked on four legs and was hairy all over, that didn’t matter to me.

              One of one my favorite scenes from the movie was when Jenny and John brought home their first child Patrick. They were a little hesitant because throughout the movie Marley loved to run around the house and knock down everything, from books to chairs to little coffee tables, and so the thought of bringing home a newborn baby around a very hyperactive dog was nerve-racking for the new parents. John decides to walk in first and he takes Marley to back yard to give him a speech about how there’s a new member in the family and at the moment the new member is very delicate and needs to be handled with care. Once John is finished with their little talk, he walks Marley back into the house where he is able to meet little Patrick, whom Jenny is holding tight against her chest, for the first time. The scene is so cute and touching because Marley looks on Patrick as if he’s this delicate new toy and he already knows that he needs to be gentle whenever around the little baby, though that wasn’t always the case throughout the baby’s childhood.

             And then there’s the heartbreaking scene at the end of the movie. Marley had started to experience abnormal pain and was no longer acting like the energetic dog that he once was. John and Jenny noticed the difference right away and John decided to take Marley to the local vet to figure out what was going on. The vet explains to John that Marley was suffering from a twisted stomach and at first they were able to give Marley some medication to ease his pain. For a while Marley was able to return back to his normal, wild self and everyone thought that he was okay from that point on, but Marley’s relief didn’t last very long. John finds Marley lying beside the burning fire one night and immediately he knew that Marley wasn’t okay. He took Marley back to the vet where they explained to him that Marley’s condition was too severe at that point and the only option was to put Marley to sleep. As the doctor was injecting the medication into Marley, Patrick inserted a VHS tape that should Marley in his younger years. This moment in the movie was incredibly hard to watch because as tape was playing out, showing Marley in his playful state, the scene would then switch to the animal hospital where Marley was lying helpless on the operation table. I remember crying my eyes out at this point of the movie and I didn’t understand why an animal like Marley had to die. This dog had been a part of the Grogan family for so long and he was able to bring so much joy to everyone. Having to watch John hold Marley’s paw as he was being put to sleep was heartbreaking.

              That movie was able to help me see how great dogs are, it even made me want to adopt one. As I got older I would continuously ask my parents for another dog just because my love for them would constantly grow. I wanted to be able to give these animals a loving home and that is what I hope to do for the rest of my life.