You may be wondering, "where did the name Comet Canine come from?" Well allow me to introduce to you the reason for the name and my best friend. Comet is my 5-yr old mixed breed rescue pup that I have had since he was about 9 months old. His story and mine are so intertwined that when people think of me, they think of Comet, and vice versa. We were meant to meet, and my life will never be the same again.
It all began when I graduated high school and didn't know what I wanted to do with my life except that I wanted to work with animals. Growing up on a hobby farm grew my love for animals big and small. Well, I stumbled upon Carroll University's Animal Behavior program and knew that was where I was meant to be. I was so set on going there it was the only college I applied for, and I got in. I will never claim to be one who loves school, but I am passionate about learning, especially when it involves animals.
After my sophomore year, I realized I had fallen out of love with college. I contemplated taking a break from college, telling myself "I'll go back and finish, I just need a break". My mom, ever the voice of reason knew that if I did take a break I would never go back. Then an opportunity came around for dog training classes at Carroll for my junior year, but there was an application process to get in the classes as they were a very limited class size. I applied praying they would approve me. Lo and behold, I was accepted. This is what made me want to stay and finish college.
One of the dog training classes that I took second semester of junior year, was to foster and train a rescue dog from HAWS in Waukesha. We could have a few preferences in the kind of dog we got, but it wasn't a guarantee that we would get what we wanted. All I put was a big dog. The selection process for out dogs began at the end of the first semester and had been almost set in stone by the time we put in our preferences. My professor told me, "Don't get your hopes up because HAWS doesn't have any big dogs that would be suitable for the program at the moment".
But fate had different plans. On December 31, 2020, a transport of dogs from a shelter in Louisiana came in. The following week before we officially found out who our foster dogs would be a large 9-month-old puppy was at HAWS with my dog training professor visiting him regularly and finally deciding he could be in the program. I was sent a video of a dog named Comet playing in the snow and told he would be my foster dog this semester! On January 17, 2021, Comet came home with me to begin his training journey.
When class started, my professor made very clear that there was no way any of the students were going to adopt their foster dog at the end of the semester. I was bummed but thought I would be able to come to terms with it. We were supposed to experience what it would be like working in a shelter where you couldn't take home every dog you met or worked with as well as learning the process of adopting out a dog.
Quickly I realized that Comet had become very attached to me. And I him. If I left the house, he would be plastered against the door I walked through until I came home even if other people were around to give him attention. He always had to be in the same room with me and wouldn't engage in activities with other people unless I was around. About halfway through the semester, I had a serious talk with my professor about the possibility of me adopting Comet at the end of the class. I explained that from a human-animal bond and welfare perspective it might be best for Comet to stay with me. Besides, I live on 6 acres with various animals and would be owned by a dog trainer that knows how to properly meet his needs. My professor said they'd think about it.
The following week, my professor announced the rules would change. Students could adopt their foster dog with approval of the professor! I was so relieved that Comet would actually be mine! At the end of the semester, we had our adoption day April 29, 2021, where all the pups in my class went to their furever homes. But I didn't have to say goodbye, I instead got to celebrate that the foster dog I fell in love with would be coming home with me!
I have learned so much about myself through him, and his impact on me will last a lifetime. The countless adventures I have gone on because of him, experiencing his personality quirks and the people I have met from having him with me has been so fulfilling to my life and his. The best way for me to honor that is to name my company after him. I want his legacy to live on even when he is no longer with me.
Here's to many more years of experiences with my wonderfully perfect pup, Comet.
