Is Your Pet the Reason You Get Up in the Morning?
How animal bonds forge human purpose.
As a long-time foster to cats and dogs and pet parent to many, I know how caring for animals has given me and my family a greater sense of purpose. It helped our kids experience the satisfaction of working towards a goal and achieving it. They also got to see how their hard work could positively impact another life. This shared sense of purpose has enabled us to make a difference in the lives of many animals while deepening our family connection.
The two woman highlighted below are on opposite ends of the career spectrum yet find equal purpose through their pets.
I first met Anke Herrmann when I was a guest on her award-winning podcast, Soul Touched By Dogs. Her off-air personality was so warm and engaging I didn’t want to pivot to the interview! In those short moments of chit chat, I learned the depths of Anke’s business acumen extend way beyond dog advocacy. She is a maverick business leader and technical whiz. This woman is unstoppable. She thinks it. She does it.
“When my first dog Leo came into my life, I had no idea how profoundly he’d change it. He cracked my heart wide open, and then Good Boy Cai, Hada, and Ms. Lea came along and stretched it even further. Each one deepened my understanding of what it means to be present, to listen, and to love unconditionally.
The quiet commitment to honor and advocate for dogs was the spark behind Soul Touched by Dogs. What began as a simple newsletter has grown into an award-winning podcast and a global platform powered by the belief that dogs are not tools or toys but wise, sentient souls with so much to teach us.
Today, Soul Touched by Dogs is where I connect fellow dog lovers with the kind of kindness-first canine experts I wish I’d known when Leo first arrived. It’s also where I use my skills to help dog professionals grow their businesses so they can help more dogs without burning out in the process.
My purpose? It was curled up at my feet the whole time.
Because dogs aren’t just “man’s best friend” - they help us become better humans. And that, to me, is their greatest gift.”
Lucinda Rau is not your average high school junior. She showed up and spoke up at Humane Lobby Day at the Minnesota State Capitol. Her questions were thought-provoking. Her ideas inspiring. By sharing her story, she helped our team secure the signatures for the Humane Pet Store bill. I can’t help but believe this young woman will do great things.
“Having pets not only gives you a constant companion, but provides you with a sense of purpose you otherwise might not have felt. My three birds, Rizzo, Rebel and Leia, put a sense of meaning into my life. Caring for creatures so much smaller than me, and earning their trust is a constant reassurance and steadiness. Knowing that something so vulnerable, with a completely different experience with the world and communication, trusts me and loves me is a sense incomparable with anything else. Knowing that something so fragile is willing to trust you, and building a relationship with an animal that doesn't understand our language is so special, and something you can't get out of anything else.
This trust and dependence gives you a sense of purpose you might not have had otherwise, knowing that this animal depends on you. They rely on you not only for basic necessities like food and water, but for companionship, love and compassion, and knowing that these little birds wait for me to get home every day after school, and are so excited to see me, gives me a reason to rush home and see them, and spend time with them whenever I can. Without these birds I would be missing something very important in my life, and I don't know how else I could fill that void. Pets give us a sense of love and wonder that you must cherish every day, and that's what I do.”
How does your pet give you purpose?
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