The Dog Who Found Me

I thought I was saving her. Turns out, she was keeping me.

Warning: Not my usual productivity stuff —just a personal story about how a cartoon dog cracked me open one night. And what happened after?

---

Last Tuesday night, I made a terrible decision.

So there I was. Pajamas. Leftover pizza. Ready to watch some guy in a cape save the world while I avoid thinking about my mess of a life — yes, Superman.

And then this dog shows up.

I mean, I knew Krypto was going to be in the movie. But knowing it and seeing it? Two completely different things.

I’m watching this dog who looks at Superman like he hung the moon. Like following him around is the most incredible privilege on earth. And something got me.

There’s this moment — God, I’m getting emotional just thinking about it — where Krypto tilts his head and you can practically see him thinking, “Whatever happens, I’m with you.” No conditions. No questions. Just pure loyalty.

By the time the movie ended, I was a wreck. Not crying, but you know that feeling where your chest gets all tight and you can’t quite swallow right? Something similar.

And before I could stop myself, I was googling “dogs for adoption near me” at 11:47 PM on a Tuesday. Which, let’s be honest, is never a good time to make life-changing decisions.

But here’s the thing — I wasn’t the only one losing my mind over a cartoon dog. My Twitter feed the next morning was insane.

People are posting pictures of shelter visits.

Someone in Denver adopted three dogs in one weekend.

A rescue in Seattle said they had their busiest week in months, and half the people who came in mentioned “that Superman movie.”

So I went to the shelter that Saturday. “Just looking,” I kept telling myself. “Just seeing what’s out there.”

And that’s when I met ‘Beans.’ Not exactly a superhero name, but whatever. She was hiding in the back of her kennel when I first saw her. Skinny. Patchy fur. But when the volunteer opened the gate, she crept forward and put her chin on my knee.

That was it. Game over.

The paperwork took forever. The volunteer kept asking if I was sure, if I had everything I needed, and if I understood the commitment. And I kept nodding, even though honestly? I had no idea what I was doing.

But Beans curled up in the front seat of my car like she’d been waiting her whole life for that exact moment.

Now she follows me everywhere. Kitchen to bathroom to bedroom to kitchen again, like I might disappear if she’s not keeping track. She’s scared of plastic bags and has a weird habit of stealing my socks.

She’s nothing like Krypto. She can’t fly or shoot lasers from her eyes. But she looks at me the same way that cartoon dog looked at Superman.

So if you’re thinking about it, stop thinking. Go look. Not because some movie told you to, but because there’s probably some little dog sitting in a kennel right now who has no idea they’re about to become someone’s whole world.

Beans is snoring on my feet as I type this. She has no clue she saved me from my own Tuesday night loneliness.

But she did.