The Leash on Society I sometimes wish I had four legs and a tail. I think about how dogs can walk into a room without worrying about how much space they take up or whether someone is judging them. Growing up overweight, I became aware of things about myself that made it harder to feel comfortable around people. I would think about how I sat at a desk, whether I looked awkward walking between chairs, or if someone was staring at me. Even when I wanted to talk to people, I could get so caught up in how they might see me that I would rather stay quiet. Around animals, I don't think about those things as much. While volunteering at an animal shelter, I saw two older dogs named Coco and Muffins being brought in after their owners had passed away. They were in a place they didn't know, surrounded by unfamiliar people. I watched them look around, seeming unsure of what was happening. I couldn't know exactly what they were feeling, but I understood the look of wanting to feel comfortable somewhere and not knowing how to get there. I recognized some of my own nervousness in them. As I spent time around Coco and Muffins, they began to show more affection. I found myself approaching them without the anxiety I tend to feel around people. I didn't need to figure out what to say or worry about how I looked. I could give them room and let them get used to me. Watching them become more comfortable made me think about how I act around others. I can be quiet and distant even when I want to connect with someone. People might mistake that for disinterest, but sometimes I just need more time to feel safe. I wondered if Coco and Muffins were experiencing something similar in their new surroundings. I want to major in animal science and become a veterinarian because I want to understand animals beyond what I can see from the outside. An animal cannot tell me in words that something hurts or that it is frightened. I will have to learn how to recognize changes in its behavior and understand what its body is telling me. Studying animal science will give me the foundation to do that, while veterinary school will prepare me to diagnose illnesses and provide treatment. I am especially interested in helping older animals, since Coco and Muffins showed me how much an animal can need care during a difficult change in its life. Volunteering at the shelter has given me a better understanding of the kind of veterinarian I want to be. I don't want to rush an animal that is scared of me or expect it to trust me just because I am there to help. I want to give it time to get comfortable, even if that means sitting nearby and waiting for it to approach. I think about the way society puts people on invisible leashes. There are expectations about how we should look and behave, and I have spent plenty of time worrying about whether I fit them. Animals have given me a place where those expectations matter less. Coco and Muffins were still finding their footing after losing the people they knew, yet they gradually became more comfortable with someone new. I don't know what their lives were like before they arrived at the shelter, but I hope they felt safe with me. I want to become a veterinarian who gives other animals that same chance to feel safe again.

For much of my life, animals have given me a sense of comfort that I struggled to find in people. Growing up, I often felt judged because of my appearance and became very aware of how much society focuses on weight, looks, and fitting into expectations. Simple things that many people never think twice about, walking between desks, sitting in crowded classrooms, or even deciding how to move my body in public, became moments filled with anxiety. I worried about taking up too much space or being perceived the wrong way. Over time, these insecurities made it difficult for me to feel fully accepted around others. Animals changed that for me. Unlike people, animals do not care about appearance, popularity, or insecurity. They do not decide whether someone is worthy of love based on body size or social standards. When an animal trusts you, it is genuine. That honesty and unconditional acceptance helped me feel safe in ways I had not experienced before. Being around animals taught me patience, empathy, and emotional connection. They became a source of healing and helped me become more comfortable with trust and affection, even though physical touch from people has often made me uncomfortable. My experiences have inspired me to pursue a career in the veterinary field because I want to provide animals with the same compassion and care they unknowingly gave to me. Veterinary medicine is more than treating illnesses or injuries; it is about protecting lives that cannot speak for themselves. I admire the dedication veterinarians show in helping animals recover, comforting worried owners, and advocating for creatures that depend entirely on human care. I want to be part of that work because I understand how deeply animals can impact a person’s emotional well-being. I am especially interested in creating environments where both animals and their owners feel understood and supported. Many people turn to animals for companionship during difficult times, just as I did, and I believe that bond deserves respect and care. My personal struggles have given me a strong sense of empathy, which I believe is one of the most important qualities someone in the veterinary profession can have. I know what it feels like to want acceptance, and because of that, I naturally want to protect and care for vulnerable beings. Pursuing a veterinary career represents more than a professional goal for me; it represents purpose. Animals helped me see value in myself during times when I struggled to feel confident or comfortable in the world around me. Through veterinary medicine, I hope to give back by dedicating my life to their health, safety, and well-being. The compassion animals showed me has shaped the person I am today, and it is the reason I want to build a future centered around caring for them.