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Ever since I was little, I've had a passion for animals, dogs more specifically. I always found comfort in them when the world let me down.

In my teenage years, I went to a dark place. My friends didn’t understand. I was then diagnosed with depression and immediately put on anti-depressants. Times got better, until my sophomore year of college, when the depression came back, worse than ever. I often felt like giving up on life. I didn’t see the point.

Then, on my 21st birthday, my mother agreed to get me a dog. I had been thinking about getting a dog for a while, since I was about to move into my own apartment. The dog we found was a little, scrawny, odd-looking dog. We found her on a local breeder site, which wasn’t my first option. I wanted a rescue. Little did I know, this was, indeed, a rescue.

The day we went to get her, she was covered in vomit and had blood on her paws. She was 4 months old. They told me that she was an accidental litter, so they weren’t very prepared. Because of her oddness, no one offered to take her until us. The breeder said she was going to the pound if no one got her.

I snatched her away from them and fell in love. Her bad background led her to be very shy. She was scared of not only people, but also any loud noise or sudden movements. I knew I was in for a challenge. A few weeks later, she got her name for her uniqueness, Lilo.

Since I got her, I’ve been in a happy place and I don’t ever see myself leaving. I can’t be sad very long with her, because she knows when I’m down and does anything to cheer me up. She is the reason I get up in the morning and the reason I am going to keep going. She has changed my life in so many ways, and I know she will continue to bring me even more happiness.