On a sunny day at the Shaggy Pines Dog Park in Ada, senior Mia Stibitz was enjoying the sunshine with one of her pets, an Australian Shepherd, Shiloh.
Shiloh, being her usual energetic self, splashed enthusiastically in the large pond in the park, getting herself thoroughly drenched. Then, once she was ready to get dry, she gallivanted out of the water and rolled around in the sand just offshore. Not long after, she jumped up and ran frantically to her heart’s desire.
For Mia, this is just one of the hundreds of memorable moments with her pets that she holds close to her heart.
“I really enjoy playing with [my dogs], usually outside my house after school,” Mia said. “We have this toy chest in our backyard, and I’ll grab some toys. They love the snow, so it’s super fun to play with them in the winter. I also just love playing with them whenever and taking them for walks.”
Besides Shiloh, Mia also has a Black Labrador named Buzz and an Australian Shepherd named Dutch. Dutch is the oldest of the dogs, being 10 years old. The Stibitz family adopted both Shiloh and Dutch in the same year and have had them for a wonderful three years.
However, Mia hasn’t always had three dogs. When she was younger, her family only had one: Buzz. For Christmas that year, Mia desperately wanted an Australian Shepherd, so she made a slideshow presentation depicting all the reasons she needed another dog, complete with many adorable images of Australian Shepherds. At the time, she didn’t think her parents would remotely consider the idea, but on Christmas morning, she was surprised with not one, but two Shepherds.
Since then, her pets have been an unwavering part of her life, maintaining a place of utmost importance in her family.
“My pets are super important to me because if I’ve had a bad day or something, or if I want to just disconnect, I can just hang out with my pets, and it’s really fun,” Mia said. “It’s something different to do versus scrolling [on a social media platform].”
Mia’s interactions with her pets have made her contemplate the idea of becoming a veterinarian for her future career. Not only because of her own pets, but because she is also a pet-sitter. Her neighbors have dogs and cats, both of which she takes care of intermittently throughout the year and especially the summer. Although she is not entirely set on the idea just yet, it’s a definite possibility after she attends college at Michigan State University for Biology, where she plans to apply her interests in animal science to the field of biology.
“I’ve definitely considered being a vet before, and I’m still considering that,” Mia said. “I love animals. However, I don’t know if I’m going to do that for sure.”
Even though life after college is currently uncharted territory for Mia, she’s positive that she wants to continue having pets. Not only do pets offer comfort and enhanced self-esteem, but they are also great for physical health, such as improving heart health and the strength of the immune system. Dogs, especially, help to enhance physical activity. These are subjects Mia wishes to explore further in university and benefits she would like to maintain in her personal life for the rest of her life.
“I always want to have a dog, at least,” Mia said. “I feel like dogs are just so fun, and they have a lot of energy, so it’s fun to do activities with them. They make me so happy. That’s why I prefer dogs over cats: they’re just more social and more fun to interact with for me.”
Even if dogs tend to be more athletically active than cats, relaxation is also a principal part of Mia and her dogs’ lives. Busy with many extracurricular activities, such as track and field, as well as an overwhelming amount of homework from the rigorous courses Mia takes, she often has to focus on homework in the comfort of her room.
Here, if she’s stressed, she knows that she can always rely on Buzz, Shiloh, and Dutch to cheer her up.
“I love hanging out in my room and having [my dogs] sit on my bed with me,” Mia said. “When I’m doing homework or watching videos, they love to sit on my bed. So, it’s something fun to do with them—relaxing and having fun at the same time.”
Through the memories of laughter and love with her pets, Mia hopes others who might be considering adopting their first pet, or another pet, will take the chance to do so, as she knows that the benefits she’s reaped from having three dogs are endless. Without her dogs, there wouldn’t be as much delight fulfilling her days and not as many experiences made into a scene of perfect nostalgia.
“I encourage people to have pets because they bring people so much joy, and there are so many fun things you can do with them,” Mia said. “You can try new things and go to different parks with your dog, if you have one.”
