by Team WellJoy
At WellJoy we talk a lot about ‘Pet Loyalists’. It’s not something you’ll find in the dictionary, but – if it was there – it might look like this:
PET LOYALIST: one who will do anything for their pet.
If you’re here and you’re reading, you’re probably already thinking of all the times you’ve gone above and beyond. Maybe your pet needed nursing back to health after illness, or maybe they’re a rescue that required some extra support to settle in (hello, sleepless nights on the couch).
Being a Pet Loyalist means you never hesitate to do the difficult, time-consuming things that make your pets’ lives infinitely better. It also means you make the most of all the other moments as well: the extra 30 minutes you save for playtime, the cuddles in bed, and that never-ending (your dog wishes!) game of fetch.
We asked our community to tell us about the times they proved themselves to be the ultimate Pet Loyalist, and the answers we got back were a beautiful reminder of the unspoken connection between a pet and their person.
Here are some stories of unwavering dedication from the floor-sleeping, furniture-rearranging, dedicated-to-the-absolute-max Pet Loyalists of the world.
“I stayed up all night on the couch” @entreollasybigotes
Raise your hand if you’ve ever spent all night keeping an eye on a poorly pet? María knows all about that – when her rescue cat, Honey, was sick she stayed up for hours to make sure she was ok.
“Ever since she was a kitten, we’ve genuinely treated her like family and adjusted so much of our home and routines around her happiness, comfort, and safety,” she says. “I”m always researching ways to make her environment healthier and more enriching. She honestly changed our whole home and lifestyle in the best way possible.”
“I never travel without her” @coco_the_chiii
Coco the Chihuahua is one well-traveled pup. Pet Loyalist Gianna doesn’t go anywhere without bringing Coco too, which means she’s along for the ride whether it’s to the bar, the pool, the beach or, even, the coast for her very own two-year birthday party…
“Wherever I travel to, she gets to experience and see the world. We’re even going to do her birthday this year in Cape Cod with a cake and family.”
“I truly went above and beyond for him in every possible way” @brittminetti
Britt adopted Patchouli (aka Chouchi) as a tiny, poorly kitten, and spent hours giving him the constant care needed to get him back to health. Her and her fiancée nursed him through some severe skin issues – which meant doing some intensive bandage changes at home – as well as a major surgery and other ongoing illness.
“Chouchi changed my life forever, and caring for him taught me what unconditional love and commitment to a pet truly means. Now I can’t imagine a world without the love of a cat in it. It’s truly the most special connection
“I slept on the floor with him for a month” @porkbellyandjim
One of the hardest moments for any Pet Loyalist is seeing their cat or dog struggling. However, these are the times when our pets most need that extra love and consideration. Sometimes that means changing our own routine to help them manage. So when Patrick’s dog had hip surgery, he moved out of his bedroom to keep his spirits up.
“In his recovery he had to be confined to a dog pen downstairs, so I slept on the floor with him for a month so he wasn’t lonely.”
“We reshaped our world around him” @steffers_91
Good Pet Loyalists don’t just handle the sleepless nights; sometimes they rethink their entire home to make their pets’ lives easier. WellJoy Associate Brand Manager Steph didn’t just drive 14 hours to pick up Husky Oatie, she rearranged her house to be more comfortable for him after he’d lost both eyes (she also slept downstairs with him to help him learn the new layout).
“We reshaped our world around him – furniture moved, runners everywhere, a new space downstairs so he didn’t have to face the stairs. Loyalty isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.”
“Our intuition told us something was wrong” @toriiisaura @wallacetheweeen
Tori and Max were in the middle of those blissful first days of getting to know a new pet when they realized their sausage dog Wallace seemed a little bit off. The Pet Loyalist instincts kicked into action, and they rushed him to the vet for a checkup.
“It turns out that Wallace was sick with a hernia and needed emergency surgery in order to live. Our fast thinking helped save his life. We got him the care he needed and gave him all the love and patience during his healing journey.”
Being a Pet Loyalist is many things. It’s skipping a good night’s sleep without a second thought; it’s changing routines and lifestyles; it’s looking after your pet in the good times, the bad times, and the in-between times. In short: it’s putting your pet’s joy and wellbeing first, no matter what.