Can you believe it? It’s Monday and I’m actually posting again, unlike my average two month hiatus. I mentioned in my previous post several topics I would be writing on so we could get to know each other better in a very one-sided manner. The first one I’ll tackle is my insane love of animals.
Oh. My. Gosh. Animals. They are, in my opinion, one of God’s greatest ideas ever. People who do not like animals I will never understand. If I go down because a huge Bernese Mountain dog tackles me, so be it. I will gladly accept that fate. (Yes, that was a joke. Mostly). Little wild bunnies that pop up everywhere during the early summer? Heck. Yes. I am all about that. When they sit there in the grass thinking they’re invisible, wiggling their little pink noses, paranoia in their huge, black eyes.. So cute.
If you’ve spent any time with me, you would know it is my job to point out and announce whatever animal I see. No, it’s not an OCD thing. I just want people to share in the blessing of seeing the adorable deer or puppy that was walking past. If you took a survey of my life, I’m almost positive the answer to “what is Kelsey’s most frequently asked question?” it would be “may I pet your dog?” Seriously, every time I’m in public I debate things like distance, friendliness, cuteness rating of the dog, etc. If the formula checks out, I go ask. No, I don’t go running an awkward distance away just to pet a dog. I will, however, make sure my stroll looks casual enough when I try to get close enough to ask to pet it, though. It’s the struggle of my life.
This is my sweet puppy. By puppy, I of course mean my full grown nine year old whippet, Riley. He may look like a snuggle bug, but don’t be fooled. While I think he is absolutely adorable and I love him dearly, it’s hard to call him a real dog.
All he wants to do all day every day is play fetch. It doesn’t matter if it’s an actual toy or a scrap of used paper towel roll. He is obsessive about it. Ask anyone who has been over my house. When they come over, they think it’s cute how he immediately brings them a toy to through… for the first hour. After that, it is annoying. He doesn’t want affection, he doesn’t want to snuggle, he doesn’t want to play wrestle. He has one purpose, and one purpose only: fetch. It’s like there’s a malfunction somewhere in his brain that makes him forget to do anything else dog-related other than play “you throw this slimy, smelly stuffed toy and I’ll catch it and we’ll do that every second of every day till I die.”
I’ve already made my (wonderful) boyfriend promise once we’re married and have our own place, he’ll buy me a dog. Not just any dog, though. A Bernadoodle puppy. What is a bernadoodle you may ask? It’s only the cutest dog ever.
Look at its adorable face! and then it grows up into this:
Just look at all that fluff. I want one so badly. It has all the hypo-allergenic perks of a typical doodle, with all of the insane perfection that is a Bernese Mountain dog. This, my friends, is my new favorite breed.
Now, this post wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention my favorite animal of all time. 
The red panda is more than just a panda. In fact, it isn’t even a real panda. Look it up, its in its own family. The red panda is a fluffy, cuddly, playful, sleepy baby that needs protection. The red panda is endangered because of their beautiful tails that poachers desire, and their helplessness that makes them an easy target for predators. These cute little red fluff balls deserve so much more. Rather than flood you with more pictures, I’ll give you a short inventory of all the red panda related items I own: red panda earrings, necklace, t-shirt, pillow, two stuffed animals, three paintings, phone lock screen, phone charm, and there’s probably more I’m forgetting. Like I said, I really like red pandas. It’s not an obsession. At least, not until I carry out my plot of how to break into the zoo and steal one.(Again, this is a joke. Please don’t take me away, cyber police!)
So there’s just a small glimpse into my love of animals. At least I didn’t include charts and bar graphs. If you still aren’t convinced, come spend fifteen minutes with me at the nearest zoo. Then, you shall learn. Alright, I did mention I’d explain why I’m still not vegan, despite how much I adore all cute animals. Here’s the long and short of it: I like meat. That might sound harsh and shallow, but it’s true. I’m not going around eating baby red pandas. My preference is turkey and chicken, however if there are no other options I will eat beef, and ham only in extreme cases of hunger. Not that you asked what my dietary habits are. But vegans get to tell theirs when not asked, so gosh dangit, I deserve the same right.
Did I mention I really like animals?
March to the Sea 